Runaway Summer
by RenaYumi
Summary: Ah Summer. The perfect time of year for Love, Friendship, parties and a healthy dose of chaos. Yes, anything can happen in the summer. YxU AxJ OxSam
1. Summer Chaos

**Disclaimer: I Don't own CL. I also don't own Charlie. She belongs to my good friend Katie who said I could borrow her if I return her in mostly one piece. The story I do own and any other Character I decide to add.**

**A/n This is my summer story. I know I know, It's early. But I thought I'd give everyone an early treat for being such great readers. This story is dedicated to Jenn, Kat, and Kim (no order) They all help me so much with my stories it's not even funny. Thanks you guys. On with the story!**

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**Ulrich's POV**

**I**t's finally summer. Actually, it's been summer for a week. We were given the choice to live on campus in the dorms as the school's ploy to make a little more money off our parents. It didn't take much coaxing to get our parents to agree. So, here I am at 7 AM, walking to Yumi's house. Why? Very simple explanation for that. Yumi came to my soccer game last night. (Jim's new entertainment, a summer soccer team) We won, and there was a party after. Everyone came, but Yumi had to leave early so she could watch her brother. She told us to call her later, but it's much more fun to surprise her. (She hates surprises) Her parents went out of town for two days, leaving her and Hiroki home. Therefore, I'm not worried about an interrogation from her father. Yeah, Mr. Ishiyama kind of has it in for me. I knocked on the door, and waited a few minutes. She was probably still in bed. Finally, the door opened. Yumi stood there, one hand on the door and one hand rubbing her eyes, squinting in the sun. Her hair was pulled back into a bun on top of her head. She was dressed in her pajamas, I presume, which consisted of a pair of black short-shorts, barely noticeable under a green hoodie that read 'Kadic Soccer' In white letters. Yumi took up soccer? No, she took up stealing my hoodie every chance she gets, though. Please note 'Stern' written across the butt. She gave me a sleepy smile.

"It's seven in the morning," she laughed, causing her to yawn. I smiled and shrugged. Yumi shook her head and stepped aside.

"Come in. Just try not to wake up Hiroki. I'm not ready to deal with him yet." she walked over to the couch, sleeves hanging down over her hands and fell backwards over the arm before covering her face and groaning. I had a plan form last night in my head. It was a fool proof plan. That is, until I got here. Of course everything always works out better in your head. Casually, I walked over and sat down next to her, pretending to be completely comfortable. She uncovered her face and tilted her head back to look at me.

"What should we do today?" she asked.

"Well, actually, I came to ask if you wanted to out for breakfast." Oh yeah! No stuttering or blushing.

"Good idea. Anyone else coming?" Uh..

"No one. I thought we could just go." Phew. Nice save Stern, Nice save.

"Sure." She stretched and sat up.

"I'll leave Hiroki a note. He's going over to a friends house anyways." Oh, today was going to be a very, very good day.

"Come on, lets go upstairs, I need to find something to wear." she got up and headed towards the stairs. Hesitantly, I got up and follow her.

"Excuse the mess, I haven't cleaned yet." Her definition of 'mess' was her bed not made. I think she needs to re-look at Odd's side of the dorm. I settled on sitting in her desk chair while she picked out what to wear. She opened her drawers with a sigh. Why sigh? What does that mean? She pulled a pair of black shorts out. It is around 80 already outside. She opened another drawer and grabbed some sort of white tank top.

"Be right back," She yawned walking out.

**Normal Pov**

Ulrich's phone went off in his pocket.

'Perfect,' he thought to himself. 'Probably Jeremy, calling to tell me xana has ruined my day.' He studied the number but didn't recognize it. "Hello?" Yumi chose that moment to walk into the room, stretching her arms over her head.

"So what's the pl.." she gave Ulrich a pleading glace when she seen the phone in his hand. He shook his head. No Xana attack today.

"Why are you.. I know.. But. You. I." Ulrich sighed. "Fine. Yeah. You are so dead when I see you. Love you too, bye." Yumi was trying to pretend she hadn't listen to the whole conversation as she made her bed. Ulrich fumbled with the buttons as he hung up. "Uhm.. Yumi?" he asked nervously.

"Yeah?" she asked walking back over to her closet in search of something other than her combat boots to wear.

"Do…you know what? Never mind. Ready to go?" Yumi finally emerged with a pair of black flip-flops.

"Yep." She reached over him and grabbed a piece of paper from her desk before walking downstairs in search of a pen.

'Hiroki,

Went out with Ulrich. Go over to Max's and don't cause trouble. Be home later, I'll call to check in.

Yumi'

She left the note sitting on the kitchen table. They walked downtown, the mornings phone call pushed out of mind. Or at least they pretended it was. They got breakfast and ate outside under an umbrella table.

_**o0o0o0o0o Summer**_

"So how was the party after I left?" Yumi asked. Ulrich poked at his breakfast.

"It didn't last to long. Maybe 'till ten. Odd caught Jim off guard and-" Once again Ulrich cell phone rang. "Great," he sighed. "Hello? What?! I thought you said… No. You're the one who said you'd… How am I suppose to do that? Huh? Just show up.. Of course I do, you should have called earlier though. Like a week!" He listened intently. Yumi looked down as he looked up. She fidgeted uncomfortably with her fork. "No, no. Not mad…..oh stop it, of course I love you, you know that, stop being stupid. Alright, I'll see you then." He hung up and smacked his forehead. "She always does this to me," he grumbled. Yumi tried to place the words she wanted to say.

"Uhm.." Ulrich looked back up at her.

"Yumi, I'm so sorry. This completely ruined my plan…for the day," he saved himself. "But I have to do a few things.. Well I have a lot of things I have to do. I wouldn't bail unless this was really important. I really, really, have to go though. I'll explain later I promise." He dropped a ten dollar bill on the table and started running towards the school while dialing on his phone.

**_o0o0o0o0o Summer_**

"And Then he just left?"

"Yeah! Just took off! Just like that!" Yumi threw herself down on Jeremy's bed kicking off her flip-flops

"I'm sure he had a good reason," Jeremy assured her.

"So he says," she said a bit disgusted. Jeremy rolled his eyes and turned back to his computer.

"Give him the benefit of the doubt, ok? Remember what happened with Emily."

"Where's Aelita?" Yumi asked changing the subject.

"Normally she's spends the day in here."

"She went to the city library. She has a new favorite author and has read every single book by her that the school has, all 30 of them," Jeremy answered. Yumi laughed.

"Only person I know who's already started their summer reading list. Not to mention finish." she stared up at the ceiling.

"Yumi," Jeremy sighed.

"Don't sulk. You're probably missing some pieces of the story."

"I'm not sulking! And maybe for once you're wrong," Yumi defended.

"I'm not wrong, Not about this anyways."

"If you're so sure."

"I am." They sat in silence, save the clicking of the keyboard, until the door opened fifteen minutes later.

"Hey Jer. I'm back." Aelita walked in with an arm full of books.

"Oh Hi Yumi," She said peeking over the stack of paper backs.

"I thought you went to breakfast with Ulrich?"

"So did I." Aelita's eyes drifted over to Jeremy. There was a knock on the door.

"Hey Jeremy? It's me, I need some help."

"Come on in Ulrich," Jeremy said getting up to help Aelita with her books.

"Jeremy could you help me look.." He seen Yumi's death glare.

"Lita? Wanna go for a walk?" Not leaving her much of a choice Yumi started walking out of the room grabbing her shoes off the floor. Aelita set her books down on Jeremy's bed and gave him a confused look before following Yumi out.

"I need to find some travel information. Germany to France. Can you help me?"

**_o0o0o0o0o Summer_**

"Maybe you're missing part of the story?" Aelita asked carefully.

"That's exactly what Jeremy said," Yumi groaned as they walked into her house.

"You could have at least stopped to talk to him," Aelita pointed out. Yumi threw her arms up into the air.

"Did you not hear what I said?"

"You sound jealous," Aelita teased. Yumi sat down and stuck her nose in the air.

"Oh come on, maybe it's was his mom or something," Yumi opened one eye.

"He told his mother to stop being stupid?" she questioned.

"Ok so maybe it wasn't his mom, but you're just being jealous Yumi. You know how he feels about you."

"Not everyone has a fairy tale romance like you, Aelita," Yumi snapped at her.

"Ok, I give up. He… has a girlfriend that he's kept a secret for three years and has just been playing with your heart. Feel better?" Aelita said smugly.

"No," Yumi squeaked.

"And don't you dare tell Ulrich _or_ Jeremy. Understand?" she demanded.

"My lips are glued."

"Sealed."

"Same thing." They laughed hysterically, breaking the tension. Aelita plopped down opposite of Yumi in an arm chair.

"So what are your plans for the summer anyways?" Yumi asked.

"Fixing computers, believe it or not. I'm upgrading all the systems in the school. Oh, yeah, and I'm getting paid twenty-five dollars a computer." She added the last part on like she forgot.

"What? No fair!" Yumi sat forward, mouth hung open.

"Oh please, like you don't have a summer job lined up," Aelita wave it off.

"Volunteer hours for next years career ed. class," Yumi answered dryly.

"Well it's something!" Aelita said supportively.

**_o0o0o0o0o Summer_**

"So.. Exactly how mad is she?" Ulrich asked as Jeremy printed off some information for him.

"Well…."

"That mad? I'm completely dead, aren't I? I was going to explain it to her, but I had to run off! There are so many things to explain it would have taken to long, and she probably would have been even madder," Ulrich said in his own defense.

"I'm sure she'll understand. Why is it I feel like a shrink today?" Jeremy asked, handing him the paper.

"Thanks alot Jer. I always knew I needed mental help." Ulrich said sarcastically.

"No problem. Maybe if you explain she'll forgive you. Odd can restrain her so she doesn't strangle you," Jeremy joked.

"You're not funny. Anyways, this train comes in tomorrow right?"

"2:05 pm. She'll leave from Bonn HBF at 8:25am. That's the earliest I can find. She'll take that to Koeln HBF, train 555. Wait there until 10:14am. Then board the 9428 train to Paris Nord. Get all that?" Jeremy asked. Ulrich was furiously scribbling down the directions.

"Thanks again Jeremy. I gotta run now. Still have to talk to the principal about a room. If not she'll end up staying with me." He gathered up the papers and left. Jeremy just shook his head as he brought up his own programs. His door opened yet again. He silently prayed it wasn't Odd hiding from Jim.

"Is it safe?" It was Aelita.

"Depends; how mad is Yumi?"

**_o0o0o0o0o Summer_**

"Yes, Mr. Delmas. Thanks alot," Ulrich walked out of the principals office with another arm full of papers.

"Ulrich dear? What are you doing here?" Sissi attached herself to his arm as he walked.

"Sissi, I'm really busy, and I have no time for you. Can't you go away with out being told off for once?"

"Oh Ulrich dear, That Yumi girl isn't here. You don't have to pretend."

"Go away Sissi. I don't have time to put up with you." He jerked his arm away and headed back to his dorm. Ulrich sighed as the door shut behind him. On his bed was the train information from Jeremy. He set the dorming information down next to it.

"Well, it's been awhile since she got me into one of these situations," he said out loud to no one in particular. The rest of the afternoon and most of the evening was spent making phone calls. He wrote down a million and one details and double checked everything. All he needed was for something to go wrong, and with only on day notice it was possible. Odd got back to the dorms around eight. Ulrich was, yet again, on his cell phone. He hung up and threw it across the room, barely missing Odd's head.

"What happened Romeo?" Odd questioned. Ulrich ran a hand through his hair.

"Yumi's mad because I had to take off without explanation at breakfast. She heard me talking to Charlie."

"Chare?" Odd laughed.

"What happened? Oh no, don't tell me. She's in trouble again." Ulrich threw his arms up in frustration.

"Odd, we spent a lot or summers with Charlie! When was she not in trouble?" he asked. Odd thought for a moment.

"Never?"

"Exactly."

"What did she do?" Odd asked.

"It's not what she did, it's what she's going to do. She's taking a train to France first thing in the morning."

"Awesome!.. I mean bad." He laughed nervously.

"Yeah and to top it off, she screwed up my plans for Yumi."

"Aw come on Romeo! She'll forgive you. Just turn on the charm," Odd gave him a devious grin. Ulrich whipped a pillow at his head.

"And what about you? I take it you spent the whole day charming Sam, right?"

"She's already been charmed. I'll have you know she was teaching me how to cook." He crossed his arms.

"Ah, domesticating you. And the house didn't go up in flames?"

"Not like you plans."

"Cold Odd, very cold."

"Blame Charlie."

"I plan on it." Ulrich shook his head.

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**A/n There you have it for chapter one. Chapter two is headed your way soon. It's currently a work in progress and should be up no later than one week. Thanks guys. R&R**

**Rena**


	2. Intresting Arrival

**A/n Hello again! Yay for chapter one not being a total failure. Thanks bunches and bunches to Kat who helped so much. (uhm I know I took to long to update but I was laughing so hard I couldn't write.)**

**Warning: Yeah... This is a bit un-Rena-like. If you don't like the content I'll keep it cleaner for the rest of the story. Worse senario; I'll rewrite this chapter. Let me know if you're ok with it.**

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"**W**hat time is she getting here?" Odd whined for the millionth-and-one time.

"Her train got in at two," Ulrich said dryly. Jeremy sat with his laptop on the bench with Aelita beside him, nose buried in a book.

"Where's Yumi?" Aelita asked finally closing her book.

"I couldn't get a hold of her last night," Ulrich answered.

"What he means is, Yumi refused to answer her phone," Odd laughed. Aelita took out her cell phone as Ulrich glared at Odd.

"Hello? Hey Yumi. What are you doing? Good, come hang out at the school with me. I'm bored. Kay, see you soon." She snapped her pink phone shut and smiled.

"That was easy."

"Thanks Lita," Ulrich sighed.

"So I take it you never go to explain Charlie," Jeremy shut his laptop to join the conversation.

"This is going to be an interesting reunion," Odd snickered. Ulrich swung but missed. Yumi just started up the path when she noticed the brunette standing with the group.

"Aelita!" she hissed.

"Stop Yumi, Let me explain," Ulrich said steeping between the two girls. "There was a reason I took off, My-" There was a blur and a squeal.

"ULRICHHH!" The next thing the gang knew Ulrich was on the ground.

"Charlie! Get off me!!" Ulrich yelled. The others, save Odd, blinked in confusion. The girl stood up in one quick motion and looked around.

"Hi everyone." She brushed her hair out of her face. It was brunette with a layer of blond underneath.

"Charlie, how's it been?" Odd asked with a wide grin.

"Odd!" She spun around and greeted him with a bear hug. Yumi cleared her throat.

"Explanation please."

"Yumi, this isn't as strange as it looks," Ulrich said getting up off the ground. "This is Charlie, My sister. Chare, this is Yumi-"

"Oh! Your girlfriend! Nice to meet you, Yumi." Ulrich's face went cherry-red.

"Charlie!"

"Kidding! Hey Yumi, do you know that Ulrich talks about you non-stop when he calls me?"

"Charlie if you do not shut-up I'll send you back," Ulrich threatened.

"No you won't. Now let me guess who you two are." Charlie turned to Jeremy and Aelita. "The pink hair gives it away, You've got to be Princess Aelita that I hear so much about, and you… must be Jeremy." She smiled widely.

"Nice to meet you Charlie," Aelita laughed.

"Oh yeah, Ulrich you get to carry my bags to my room," Charlie pointed to two very heavy looking bags sitting a few feet away.

"Aww, isn't that cute? Here five minutes and already putting her brother to work. Haven't changed a bit, Chare." Ulrich glared over his shoulder as he lifted one of the bags.

"Keep laughing Odd; you get to carry the other one."

"Move aside, weakling," Odd pushed past Ulrich to retrieve the other bag.

"God, Charlie. What did you pack?"

"The normal supply of bricks." Yumi still stood in her state of utter confusion.

"Ulrich? Why didn't you ever tell me you had a sister?"

"You…never asked?" He laughed nervously.

"Ulrich!" Charlie screeched. "They didn't know I was coming?"

"For the record, I didn't know you were coming."

"You two are so different. I'm shocked you're related," Aelita giggled as the boys dragged Charlie's bags towards the dorm.

"The difference is, I wasn't dropped on my head when I was born," Ulrich smirked. Charlie stuck her tongue out.

"I know what you mean Aelita, you'd never guess they were twins," Odd laughed. Aelita, Jeremy, and Yumi blinked.

"Twins?"

"Oh this is going to be a long day," Jeremy sighed.

_**o0o0o0o summer**_

"No way!" Odd pumped his fists into the air. "You're dorms only two doors down from ours!" The gang walked into Charlie's room. The walls were a pale blue; the first thing she asked was,

"Do you think they'll let me paint?"

"Typical," Ulrich sighed tossing her bag into the corner.

"So what's with the jail break?" Odd questioned. Aelita raised an eyebrow at the statement.

"Figure of speech," Jeremy explained quietly.

"Rents were driving me up the walls. Ulrich had the right idea living here," Charlie laughed.

"Like when grades come?" Ulrich nudged his sister.

"Unlike you, I'm passing the majority of my classes. All of them, as a matter-of-fact." She stuck her nose in the air and crossed her arms.

"Yeah, yeah. Now let's talk parties. I mean, it is Charlie's first night at Kadic," Odd grinned deviously. Charlie backed away from the blonde.

"Oh, no. No, no. No party."

"Aww, come on Chare."

"No party! Remember what happened last time? No party!"

"What happened last time?" Yumi asked.

"Uh.. They broke all the windows in the house because the music was so loud. And the neighbors called the cops. And Charlie and Odd snuck out the back," Ulrich rolled his eyes.

"Haha, yeah. And the rents made us work the rest of the summer to pay for them. Hey Odd, remember when we got into the ice cube fight at Olive Garden?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah! And you almost set your hair on fire and then we ran out into the main room and I fell over the table and we got fired." Odd sat on the floor clutching his sides.

"Ah, good times. Good times."

"So I take it you were always in trouble?" Jeremy asked.

"Of course," Charlie answered. Everyone was now seated somewhere scattered on the floor.

"So Ulrich, still sucking at soccer?" Charlie asked.

"Maybe; still sucking at life?" Ulrich answered with out a second thought.

"Hah, you bet. Remember Emory?"

"Yeah."

"Well, he sucked in bed so I dumped him." Odd burst out laughing and Ulrich's face grew red in anger.

"What?! Charlie are you insane?! I told you he was just a jerk who-"

"Ahaha, you are such a spaz. I was kidding."

"You better be!"

" No, he tried to take my pants off while we were making-out so-"

"Stop, stop! I don't want to hear anymore. Jeremy what's the fastest way to Germany? I need to have a little talk with Emory."

"Plane," Jeremy answered.

"Where was I when all this happened?" Odd asked wiping his tears as he tried to stop laughing. "I thought I told you not to make out with guy with easy access clothes on."

"Yeah.. Well I forgot," Charlie grinned. "And didn't you also tell me that I should make-out with Emory?" Ulrich glared at Odd.

"He better not have," he muttered. Aelita blinked.

"Uhm.. I think I'm gonna go now. I have.. Things, to do. Nice meeting you Charlie. Bye, everyone. See you all at dinner." She excused herself and the others waved.

"Uhm.. I think I scared your girlfriend away Jeremy," Charlie laughed. Jeremy blushed.

"Well, Uh.. She.. Heh. Don't worry about it."

"Haha. So who wants to help me unpack?"

"Uhm.. Maybe I better go see what Aelita's doing. Bye." Jeremy ran out of the room.

"Oh no, don't look at me. I'm NOT touching your stuff," Ulrich said and Charlie move her gaze to her brother.

"Aw. Come on, Twinny. Please?"

"No. It could be radioactive or something. I remember what your room looked like." Yumi smothered a laugh.

"You think that's funny? You help her unpack." Yumi held her hands up in surrender.

"Don't snap at me. You two are just so polar opposite and so exactly the same," Yumi pointed out.

"Because that makes sense," Ulrich rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, because,"

"You guys argue like a married couple," Charlie teased.

"Charlie, don't you have something to do other than annoy the living crap out of my friends?" Ulrich asked.

"As a matter of fact ,I do." She rolled over and reached into her bag, pulling out a soccer ball.

"I'm gonna go play soccer." She jumped up and headed for the door. Ulrich grinned as she stopped short.

"You don't know where the field is, do you?" He asked.

"Uh.. Outside?"

"Right Chare. Come on, I bet I can still kick your butt." Ulrich took the soccer ball and led Charlie towards the doors. Odd and Yumi exchanged a glance before jumping up to follow them. By the time they got to the bleachers, Ulrich and Charlie were already on the field.

"Charlie plays soccer?" Yumi asked.

"Does Charlie play soccer? That's like asking if the sun is HOT," Odd said, grinning. "In fact, she might be better than Ulrich."

"Wow, I'm gonna have to see this," Yumi laughed. Charlie bounced the ball off her knee a few times before letting it hit the ground. Ulrich smirked and went after it. Charlie kicked it towards the goal, spinning to maneuver around Ulrich's foot.

"And five plus years of dance helped," Odd explained. Charlie picked up speed as she ran towards the goal. Yumi watched as Ulrich pushed harder to catch up with her. To no avail, Charlie scored before he caught up.

"In your face!" She did a cart wheel, followed by a backhand spring as Ulrich took the ball out.

"And two years of gymnastics," Odd laughed nervously. Yumi shook her head in disbelief. "Stop showing off and get in the game!" Odd yelled with a laugh as Ulrich ran past Charlie with the ball. She ran after him, slide tackling him to get the ball away. He tripped as she darted back down towards the goal.

"Hey Yumi." Yumi turned her head to see William.

"Oh, Hi Will." She turned her attention back to the game.

"Who's the girl?" there was a slight hope in his voice.

"Ulrich's sister."

"Oh." The hope fell.

'ZIP'

The ball flew past Yumi's face and hit William in the head. Charlie's hands went to her mouth.

"Oh My God! I'm so sorry! I got carried away! Are you ok?" She ran up the stairs.

"As always," Ulrich sighed folding his arms.

"Are you ok?" Charlie asked again. William moved his hand from the side of his head where a lump was forming.

"Ow," he said shutting his eyes. "That's a lot Ulrich," He muttered.

"Hey, I didn't kick it. Charlie did," Ulrich laughed, mentally high-fiveing his sister.

"Nice to meet you too, Charlie," William laughed.

"I didn't mean it!" she defended.

"Don't worry about it," He opened his eyes and looked at her. His mouth hung open mid-sentence.

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**A/n well there you have it. Just a taste of what Charlie is like. She's a very colorful character. Lol. **

**Lune-Solei- I would have if you had been on... lol. My first reviewer :tears: like always. :sniffle: thanks Jenn**

**Vic92091- Yay! thanks Vic.. no spoiling! lol I want a hoodie so bad its not funny.**

**Amaherst- Thanks! hope you'll stick with it.**

**top20fan13- yay you found my new story! thanks a bunch.**

**katfish xX- lol that's ok. i love funny reviews they make every day a little brighter. Yep Sister. you get a cookie. :cookie: lol. thanks.**

**Tsuiraku Nami- thanks. writing style?.. haha I never even considered it that. Thanks for reading.**

**divinedragon7- thanks**

**Lyoko's Princess- lol i know. i seen your review and didnt look at the penname and only seen you call me hun and was like WTF? but then i seen it was you and wasn't as freaked out.**

**Lyokogal7503- thanks! i really hope you're right.**

**DisCrazyPnai- lol. nothing can ever go 'as planned' that would kill the story. thanks**

**knightx- thanks. i got done with my other fic and it was romance so i needed a good humor one.**

**Faire Sugar Pixie Sitx 445- LOL you had the funniest review. XDD it made my whole day when i read it. (and then sent it to my other authoress friends) thanks for the rating. hope you still loves. Ciao.**


	3. Oh the Fluff

**A/n:bows down at Kat's feet: Any authors/authoress out there have a REALLY AWSOME writing friend? Yeah I am blessed with more than one. This Chapter is dedicated to Jenn and Katie. (Jenn for making me correct my spelling and Kat for her lovely/awsome/super ideas) and to a review- top20fan13 for finding yet another one of my stories. Hope this chapter is to your liking everyone.**

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**"**You didn't have to threaten him," Charlie huffed as she walked back to the dorms with Ulrich and Odd. Yumi had said good-bye so she could check in on her brother. 

"You don't know him," Ulrich muttered. Odd opened the door to their room shaking his head.

"Ulrich doesn't like William because William likes Yumi; see how that works?" he asked. Charlie snickered.

"A little protective of your girlfriend, are we?" she asked. Ulrich launched himself onto his bed. Charlie rolled her eyes and looked around the room. "Cleaner than I thought," she stated plainly.

"Ulrich I have an idea," Odd said with a mischievous grin.

"This is news," Charlie laughed. Ulrich just groaned.

"Well, Will seemed to have some interest in Charlie. I say let them go out. That way you'll have Yumi all to yourself, and to top it all off Chare gets a new toy." Odd grinned at, what he thought was, a brilliant idea.

"My sister is _not_ going out with William Dunbar," Ulrich growled. Charlie joined Odd with a mischievous smile.

_**o0o0o0o summer**_

"I have to do what?!" Yumi wailed into the phone. Hiroki snickered from the kitchen table where he sat eating a late lunch.

"Yes, I know the requirements but is it possible.. Of course I know that I .. Yes sir." She sighed in defeat. "Thank you sir. I will. Bye." Yumi hung up the phone and groaned. "What have I gotten myself into?"

"What did you do Yumi?" Hiroki asked innocently. Yumi glared at him.

"I have to-" The phone rang again. "Hello? Oh hey Aelita, had to check on Hiroki. Yeah. Come over and help me? Please? You're not going to believe what my summer project is. Worse. Worse. No, even worse, it involves me in shorts and a few dozen 6-8 year old little girls." she groaned again. "Come help me get out of this. Yeah. See you in a bit. Bye." She hung up and looked back over at her brother.

"Is Aelita coming over?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Yes! I mean.. that's cool." He went back to eating with a grin on his face. Yumi rolled her eyes and opened the drawer behind her.

"Have you seen my day planner? I shoved it in here last week." She dug in the drawer for the book. Hiroki shook his head. "I thought I.. Oh I know where it is, be right back, I left it in my desk," She ran up the stairs to her room. Hiroki put his dish in the sink and walked out into the backyard. As carefully as a seven year old could, he picked a pink tulip from his mothers garden. She wouldn't miss just one. He heard the doorbell and rushed back through the house beating Yumi to the door.

"Hi Aelita," He greeted her with a bright smile, flower behind his back.

"Hello Hiroki, Where's Yumi?" She asked as he let her in.

"She went to find something. Uhm.." He held the flower up to her.

"Aww!" She knelt down to his level. "That is so sweet!" He blushed as she took the flower.

"What are you doing Hiroki?" Yumi sighed as she came down the stairs, her planner under her arm. Aelita laughed and hugged Hiroki, making him turn an even brighter shade of red. Yumi pretended to gag.

"Go play Hiroki; we have things to discuss," she sighed. Hiroki walked out of the room, stopping to wave at Aelita before he did. Aelita chuckled tucking the flower behind her ear. "Watch out Jeremy. Looks like he has some serious competition," Yumi said sarcastically. Aelita rolled her eyes.

"Your brother is adorable, now what's all the drama about?" she questioned.

"Do you remember the volunteer hours I'm doing?" Aelita nodded. "Well it looks like I'm 'volunteering' to coach a volleyball team of eight year olds!" Aelita erupted in laughter.

"That's not that bad! It's not a death sentence."

"I haven't gotten to the death sentence yet." Aelita fought back her next laughing fit. "To coach this team, which I have to do to pass next years class, I have to attend a one week skills camp at the school," she groaned.

"Yumi, it's no big deal! I'm sure you'll do fine."

"I haven't been in a conditioning session since I was.. Since I was 8!" Yumi threw her arms up to show that was a big deal.

"So do it. You can't be that out of shape after.."

"Walls have ears." Yumi tilted her head towards the door where her little brother was sure to be near.

"Right.. Well, I'm sure it will be mostly painless," Aelita offered. Yumi groaned.

"When do you start?" the pinknett asked. Yumi flipped open her planner to June and July.

"Monday through Friday I have skills camp, the following week I go for meetings, and the week after that I coach," Yumi pointed out the notes written in purple pen.

"Busy isn't she? Yumi always works real hard," Hiroki was sitting on the edge of the couch.

"You pest, don't you have something to do?" Yumi spat.

"Aww. Yumi, He just wants to hang out with his big sister," Aelita laughed.

"And her friend," Yumi muttered. Hiroki turned on the little kid charm.

"Yeah, Yumi, I want to be just like you." She thought she would die.

"We will take you out for ice cream if you leave us alone alright? Mom and Dad will be home around six, I'll be back to check in on you before then; you can have Max over, but don't tear the house up." Yumi stood up not leaving Hiroki time to consider her offer. "Bye." She and Aelita headed out the front door back towards the school.

"So what do you need for the skills camp?" Aelita asked as they walked.

"I still have my knee pads.. And shorts and stuff. I'm pretty much set I guess. I just have-"

"Ishiyama! Stones!" Sissi came storming towards them as they neared the campus.

"Delmas." Aelita rolled her eyes.

"Who is that girl Ulrich is with?" She demanded. "Oh sorry Yumi; that must break your heart to see him spending all his time with her. What is she, new or something?"

"That's Charlie, She's-"

"New," Yumi cut Aelita off. "Ulrich and her are REALLY close," with that she left Sissi in a infuriated state, pulling Aelita behind her.

"Why didn't you tell her it was his sister?" Aelita finally asked.

"Because it's more fun to see her mad." They walked in silence back into the school, snickering every so often to themselves.

"YUMIIIII! AELITAAA!!" A flash of green and gray flew past them and stopped short. It was Charlie dressed in camo caprices, a gray long sleeved shirt under a green t-shirt.

"Look what I found!" She was waving a flier over her head. The two girls gave her a blank stare in return. "Uh.. It's a gymnastics flier? Have any of you seen Ulrich? He headed that way." She pointed towards the woods.

"Gymnastics flier? Since when does Kadic have a gymnastics team?" Yumi asked with a laugh.

"Uhm since," Charlie finally took the flier out of the air to look at it. "This year!" she squeed.

"I know where Ulrich is going, I'll go get him. I'll meet you guys in the dorms," Yumi shook her head as Aelita and Charlie discussed the team excitedly.

_**o0o0o0o summer**_

Yumi walked into the woods in the opposite direction of the manhole. Ulrich would be sitting under his tree or taking Kiwi for a walk. Her first guess was right, she seen his shadow from where he was sitting on the other side of the tree.

'To scare him, or not,' she pondered to herself with a smirk. She took another few steps. Deep in thought, Ulrich didn't seem to notice her. Yumi crouched down right behind him, leaning so her lips almost touched his ear.

"BOO!!!!!" In one quick motion he screamed in surprise and tackle her. Yumi yipped as she was forced roughly to the ground.

"Yumi? What are you-" He realized their current position. Yumi was on her back, he was on top of her, hands pressed against her shoulders and knees on either side of her legs.

"Uhm.." she laughed. He blushed pulling himself off her and off the ground. He reached down to pull her up. "So why are you out here sulking?" she questioned.

"I'm n-not sulking!" he stumbled over his words. Yumi dropped herself back down at the base of the tree.

"What's wrong? You're a terrible liar." A piece of her dark hair fell into her face as she enjoyed the shade.

"And you are a horrible person; flirting with me? Yumi, I'm shocked." Yumi pretended to look appalled.

"You could only be so lucky!"

"Sissi."

"William." The two childishly traded insults, all the while doing their best to restrain smiles.

"Seriously, What's wrong?" Yumi laughed. Ulrich slid down the trunk of tree sitting next to her.

"Two things, if you must know. One, Charlie's here. Which means something happened at home, and she's not telling me. Two, Charlie's here. Which means she messed up my plans for yesterday and today," he laughed bitterly. Yumi looked at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Plans? What, no overthrowing the government?" she joked.

"Yeah, heh. I .. Well yesterday when we went to breakfast.. I mean I was going to, but Charlie called. I… was hoping to-to a-ask you." Yumi laughed.

"Complete sentences Ulrich; ask me what?" He turned his face away from her as he turned a crimson red.

"Yumi I know that you don't want to mess up our friendship, and I feel the same way but," His words were slightly rushed. Finally he forced himself to look at her, in desperate need of a positive reaction. "Yume.. I don't know if I can just be your friend anymore." Yumi's face turned bright red.

'_There.. It's out. If she hates me, at least I know I tried,' _he thought to himself.

"So yesterday.. You were going to, I mean given the chance, you were, uhm, we, uh, uh.." She stumbled, blinking rapidly searching for the words.

"Uhm.. Complete sentences?" Ulrich laughed and the tension seemed to drop substantially.

"I don't want to be just friends anymore," Yumi looked back up, cheeks still pink. Ulrich leaned in delicately placing a kiss on her lips.

"THERE YOU ARE! GUESS-" Charlie stopped dead in her tracks as the two broke apart. Ulrich frowned and Yumi stifled a giggle. "HA I KNEW IT!!" Charlie threw her head back as she pointed at the couple.

"Charlie," Ulrich groaned.

"OH! Right, sorry for interrupting," she smiled politely. Yumi just shook her head. "I signed up for the gymnastics team, and I want you to come watch me try out and carry my bag like a pack mule. Oh, and did I mention William asked me out?"

"He what?!?!" Ulrich stood up in a rage. Yumi stood up behind him.

"Ulrich, inhale, exhale," she demanded.

"WILLIAM DUNBAR ASKED YOU OUT?! You turned him down right?" Ulrich took another step towards his sister.

"Calm down. And no; I said yes. Odd was right about the new toy thing," Charlie nodded.

"Ulrich? Come on, let's go back to the school," Yumi took his hand in hers, tugging him slightly before he'd follow. Charlie waved and headed off to find Odd.

_**o0o0o0o summer**_

"I just, Ugh! I can't believe it. Does he have to take everyone important to me away?" Ulrich questioned.

"This isn't about you, this is about her. If she likes William shouldn't you … I don't know, be happy for her?" Yumi asked.

"Oh," she stopped and turned in front of him.

"I don't remember being taken away," she gave him a quick kiss and started walking again. Ulrich smiled.

"Fine, but if her hurts her-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You can go all macho, big brother, protective, mode," Yumi snickered.

_**o0o0o0o summer**_

Aelita and Jeremy were waiting on campus as the two made their way back to the school. Aelita nudged him motioning her head towards the couple.

"Looks like we missed a bit," Jeremy smirked.

"It's about time," Aelita laughed. Yumi kept a smile plastered to her face and blushed. Ulrich still appeared to be slightly sulking but in much higher spirits.

"You ..may not like this but.." Jeremy started.

"Charlie. William. I know." Ulrich glance at Yumi. "I'm.. happy for her," he said bitterly. Yumi rolled her eyes.

"Since the breakfast thing didn't work out, why don't we go out for dinner? We can double date," she laughed.

"Put me in the same room as him, and I'll kill him," Ulrich growled in response.

"Think of it this way; you can keep an on them," Jeremy offered. Ulrich immediately agreed.

"I'll go tell Charlie. We should all go. Odd can bring Sam. This way we're all saved from one of Chare and Odd's Parties."

"Of course that's your excuse," Yumi teased.

"You want to see them in an awkward situation, too, after what just happened don't you?" he raised an eyebrow. Yumi took a moment to consider before smiling.

* * *

**A/n: Oh there is more fluff. Much more fluff.**

**Vic92091: Thanks Vic, your review was first!**

**divinedragon7: thanks! owww not good, that always hurts.**

**Lune-Solei: Why do i bother replying to your reviews when I'm talking to you right now? Thanks for reading Jenn XP**

**Lyokogal7503: Hate to go against a review, but I have a plan. thanks.**

**Tsuiraku Nami: first of all i love your penname. thanks for reading, i love knowing what people think.**

**knightx: thanks. More pain for William is promised :hinthint: thank for the luck!**

**top20fan13: yes she is, lol. Have to love Charlie. hope you liked this chapter.**

**Amaherst: lol i know, i hate YxW. thanks for reading.**

**Lyoko's Princess: LOL thanks Kim.**

**Fairie Sugar Pixie Stix 445: LOL thanks. Lol i've learned to no ask. Yay for lots of stars. yay pie world! thanks**

**Mas: Maybe just a little :wink: thanks for reading**


	4. Booster Seats? 3 please

**A/n yes i know. Bad Rena. Taking forever to update. Thanks a ton and a half to Kat for helping me. The next chapter will have you all laughing I hope. For now, here's chapter 4.**

**Warnings: Ulrich gets a little mad. This chapter is very tame for what's next. lol.**

* * *

**"Your** face is getting red," Yumi snickered quietly.

"I just strongly dislike the idea."

"So you've said." Ulrich sighed, trying Charlie's cell phone number for the third time. Aelita and Jeremy had gone to get Odd and Sam moments earlier.

"Let me try," Yumi said, taking out her own cell phone.

"Hello William?" Ulrich glared at her.

"Yeah, it's me. Is Charlie with you?" Her eyes moved back to Ulrich.

"We're all going out to eat, and her brother's trying to get a hold of her. Sure hold on." She held the phone out. Ulrich shook his head vigorously. 'It's Charlie,' Yumi mouthed to him. Reluctantly he took the phone.

"Chare? Why didn't you answer your cell? Charlie I thought you were going to charge that. Fine, we're going out to eat. Yes, if you must, you can bring William. Yes, we're all going. .. Just be back here soon. Yeah. Behave! I mean it. Bye." He shook his head and handed Yumi back her cell. "Another disastrous day, thank you, Charlie," he muttered.

"It will be fun." It was more like an order. She leaned against him, closing her eyes to let the sun warm her face. Hesitantly, and with a slight blush, he put his arm around her.

"Why did it take so long? I mean.." Yumi started.

"I WAS RIGHT!" They looked up to see Odd jumping up and down pointing at them. Samantha, Aelita, and Jeremy weren't far behind.

"Aww, very cute," Samantha said catching up with them.

"How many times are they going to do that?" Yumi asked, not moving from her position.

"Only for… ever?" Ulrich responded flatly.

"No, only till you're married," Sam snickered.

"Shut up," Yumi and Ulrich snapped in unison. Odd snickered.

"Where are we going?" Aelita asked in an attempt to pull the attention off her clearly embarrassed friends.

"Dinner, somewhere. As soon as my sister and her _boyfriend _get here." Ulrich answered.

"Chare and Will? I saw them after she left Sam's. They were-" Sam made a dive, throwing her hand over his mouth, eyes wide.

"They were what?" Ulrich asked.

_**o0o0o0o summer**_

Ulrich stormed off in the direction of the school, walking towards the opposite court yard.

"Ulrich, bad idea; come on just wait till they get back," Sam laughed nervously as she tried to pull Ulrich back towards the others by his arm. He continued to walk. As he rounded the corner he heard Charlie's laughter. The rest of the gang had ran to catch up with him. The shine of Charlie's necklace caught Ulrich's attention. Safety-pins.

'_Yeah, from when we were ten,' _Ulrich thought as he stormed towards them.

"Charlie… how is it possible for you to be so, so perfect?" William asked. Charlie blushed and they met in an innocent kiss. Of course, no kiss is ever innocent to a brother.

"William," he snapped bitterly. "You can let her go anytime." The couple broke away from the kiss. Charlie had a starry look in her eyes.

"What did you do? Hex him Charlie? Come on we're leaving, I advise you to not touch her for the rest of your life if you want to keep yours," Ulrich said over his shoulder as he pulled Charlie from the bench by her arm. Charlie winked to him over her shoulder as she was dragged towards the bus stop. Hesitant, William followed. Charlie managed to squirm out of Ulrich grasp before they got of the bus and sit next to William. Yumi pushed Ulrich into a seat in front of them. He glared at her.

"Are you asking for my brother to kill you?" Charlie laughed as William whispered something in her ear. Ulrich growled.

"Yumi, my dear," He said through his clenched teeth.

"I know, I know," She sighed. More giggles came from the seat behind them. Odd looked over the back of his seat at the couple.

"So, which of you is getting married first Ulrich? Charlie or you?" Yumi kicked the seat. She gave him a 'he's-mad-enough' look, and continued to look out the window.

_**o0o0o0o0o summer**_

The look on the waitresses face when all eight of the gang walked in was priceless.

"Jeremy, why are William and Ulrich glaring at each other?" Aelita whispered quietly as they were seated. Jeremy opened his mouth to answer but just shook his head. The gang were seated at a booth. On one side was (in order) Aelita, Yumi, Ulrich, and Charlie. On the other side was Jeremy, Sam, Odd, and William.

"I'll be right back to take your orders," the waitress said as she set down waters. William's foot found Charlie's under the table. She bit back laughter taking her other foot she shoved his foot off. Yumi gripped Ulrich's knee as his knuckles turned white. William took a sip of water before going after Charlie's feet again. Further insuring his death wish, he found Ulrich's foot instead.

"What are you doing?" he asked angrily. Charlie burst out laughing, falling to the floor next to the booth. William stood up to see if she was ok. In the process he hit his water, knocking it onto Odd.

"Hey!" Odd protested. He took an ice cube from his glass and threw it at William. He missed and it went across the table, hitting Yumi.

"Would you grow up?" she growled at them. Ulrich snickered, hiding his face with his hand. Charlie shot up into the booth. She kicked Ulrich in the shin and smiled brightly at William. Yumi rubbed her temples. "Next time we go out for dinner we're going alone and we're not bringing the children," she whispered to Ulrich. A grin sneaked onto his face. Charlie giggled like an idiot.

"Will, I have the best idea," she smiled to him.

"And what would that be?"

"Uh, not now; I'll tell you later." Ulrich rolled his eyes.

"Listen up, little sister, behave or I'm calling Mom and Dad," he threatened. Sam sat back quietly amused by the gangs strange, yet usual, behavior. Ulrich and Charlie's bickering continued.

"Listen up, big brother. You're only older than me by three minutes, so stop acting like your older than me by three years."

"Then stop acting like you're three," Ulrich retorted, punching her in the arm.

"Ow!" Charlie returned the punch.

"Charlie Mariah Stern! I swear to God, if you don't stop.."

"Mariah," Odd snickered. Charlie kicked him under the table. Yumi and Sam exchanged an exhausted glance.

* * *

**A/n: And there you have it. With any luck I may be able to update again today, if not tommorrow. R&R**

**Lune-Solei: Safe bet. Fluff is me. hehe. Thanks for reading. WOOT UNITE!**

**Tsuraku Nami: Thanks! Basicly, Ulrich just wants to keep an eye on his sister and he's covering saying it will just save them from one of Charlie and Odd's insane parties.**

**divinedragon7: I did, thanks for reading.**

**Lyoko's Princess: Kim.. I love you some days XD nice.**

**top20fan13: Thanks! hope you liked this chapter.**

**Katfish xX don't die! ok phew. Yay is an awsome word!**

**Fairie Fan of Fluff: Fluffies are awsome. :nodnod: UlrichxYumi is my favorite fluff.**

**Aeita2: Thanks so much! keep reading**

**Vic92091: Oh yes. (that's good math right there) quad-date :snickers: oh there will be one before its over with, count on it.**

**Amaherst: You'll have to wait to find out! keep readding!**

**Tina: I know.**


	5. Fun? I think not

**A/n: You can thank Jenn and Kat for this chapter. They wrote it/ kicked me in the butt to write it.**

**Warnings: Uhm... beware of severe randomness?**

* * *

**Y**umi's alarm went off. She groaned and considered calling in sick. She switched off the infernal devise and fell out of her bed onto the floor. Untangling herself from her sheets she grabbed a gray t-shit and a pair of shorts.

'Ugh, spandex.' She mentally hit herself for not grabbing her other shorts from her drawer, half way down the hall. By the time she was showered and dressed it was 6:30. 'Knee pads, check, water, check, hair soaking wet, great, check, oh yeah, and up, check, let's get this over with.' She sighed and headed for the school.

And there they were, Odd and Ulrich were sitting on the bench waiting for her.

'click'

"If that's what I think it was-"

'click'

"Good morning Yumi," Odd yawned putting away his camera.

"Odd, you are so dead it's not even funny," Yumi growled.

"Now, now. No violence. Besides, you have a camp to go to," Ulrich smiled. Yumi narrowed her eyes, shoving him as she walked towards the gym. The doors were propped open. Yumi sighed for what seemed like the millionth time that morning and wiped the bottoms off her shoes on the sides of her knee pads which were down around her ankles. The gym was filled with girls warming up.

"Hi!" Yumi turned her attention to a blonde standing behind her.

"Hi." She walked towards the bleachers to set down her water. She tried not to seem to unhappy to be there.

"I'm Kia. Have you signed in yet?" She was wearing a bright pink, thick strap, tank top and black spandex shorts with a pink headband.

"Just got here. I'm Yumi by the way," Yumi said pulling up her knee pads.

"Ulrich Stern's girlfriend?"

"News travels quick," Yumi laughed. She added her name to a long list that was sitting on a table.

"Have you played before?" Kia asked. She picked up a ball from one of the numerous black bins spread out in the gym. Yumi noted two side-by-side nets.

"A bit." Kia tossed her the ball. Yumi set it up easily and over handed it to her.

"So you do play," Kia smirked. There was a high pitch whistle.

"Service line!" The coach yelled from the opposite side of the gym.

"That's the-"

"I know," Yumi cut her off running to the line.

"We're going to start running a 5-2, then switch into overhand drills," the coach yelled. A few of the girls paled, Yumi just looked bored. The coach grinned.

"I'm Coach Douglas. This week is gonna be alot of fun. We'll do basics today to warm you up, refresh your muscles and memories. How many returning Angels do we have?" Kia and a handful of the other girls ran off the line, sliding on their knee pads to the center of the courts screaming loudly and flailing their arms. Coach Douglas shook her head.

"The new Angels have no idea how much insanity they're in for." The girls returned to the line giggling like idiots. "We're really not going to start running 5-2's, We are, however, going to start with one suicide. Give me… 6 lines of 5. When you're done, grab a partner and do underhand passing. You're all stuck with me till 10, Go." She walked away with her clipboard as the girls started running. Yumi didn't push herself very hard, just enough to keep up with the girls running with her on her turn. When they finished she grabbed a ball, bumping it to herself a few times.

"Kia, partners?" she asked as the blonde walked up to her, slightly out of breath from running.

"it's 108 in here, aren't you dieing yet?" Kia asked.

"Yep. Here, you can toss first, or do you just want to pepper?" Yumi answered tossing her the ball and walking back onto the court.

"Pepper, if you can," Kia responded.

"Ok! Line up, I'm sick of you," the coach barked. The girls laughed. "Be here tomorrow, same time. We're starting more advanced stuff." The girls were red faced, soaked with sweat, and ready to go as the coach continued to talk about the week. "Alright, get out of here." With that they ran out the door.

"Yumi! Wait up!" Kia came running behind her with her gym bag thrown over her shoulder. Yumi rolled her sleeves under, exposing her shoulders to the slight breeze.

"What's up?" she asked.

"Tradition is what's up. First day of boot camp. You survived. So now, you go home, shower, grab you bathing suit and come over to my house for a party. The returning angels are all coming… and you too if you want. No guys though. Angels only," she grinned.

"Ok, what's with the Angel thing?" Yumi asked as she started walking off campus. Kia ran to catch up.

"That's Kadic's volleyball team's name. Duh. Kadic Angels. Are you in?"

"Uh, sure. Where do you live?" Kia squeed making Yumi take and unnoticed step away from her.

"Two blocks to the left and down six houses," she answered. Yumi nodded and felt two arms come around her waist.

"Don't; it's to hot," she whined. Ulrich laughed.

"How was practice?" he asked releasing her.

"Tiring," Yumi answered. They stopped walking.

"Ulrich Kia, Kia Ulrich." The two said a polite hello.

"How about we go out for ice cream to celebrate?" Ulrich asked.

"Tempting, but no. I'm going to a party. I've been here one day and Kia has me going to celebrate," she rolled her eyes.

"Ok, maybe tomorrow," Ulrich grinned.

"You," she sighed.

"Have you seen Charlie?" he asked changing the subject.

"No, I've been in a gym all morning. The only people I've seen have been in short shorts with volleyballs," Yumi answered.

"Ow, sounds fun." She punched him in the arm.

"Very; I really need a shower now, call ya later." Yumi kissed him on the cheek and started heading home.

"Come on Sammy; it's to hot to just lay around in the sun," Odd said, pulling on Sam's hand.

"I don't swim!" She protested.

"You have a pool," Odd countered.

"That I do not swim in. Odd I don't know how to swim!"

"I'll teach you," he laughed scooping her up off her towel.

"ODD DELLA ROBBIA! Put me down this instant!" she kicked her feet.

"I promise I won't let you drown," he said walking towards the Olympic size pool.

"No! Odd stop! I don't want to!" she yelled. Odd walked down the stairs in the shallow end. He put her down finally.

"You don't have to if you're that scared, but I promise I won't let you drown." Sam looked at him hesitantly.

"Promise?" Odd laughed.

"Of course I promise!" Sam sighed.

"Fine." She gave in.

"Put your face in the water," Odd instructed.

"Odd, I'm not-"

"Do it!" She rolled her eyes and stuck her face in the water.

"Ok?" she asked sarcastically.

"Ok just making sure you weren't afraid of water. Come on we're going in the deep end." He picked her up again and walked towards the other end.

"You know I could always pull myself along the wall," she said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Fine, if you want to. I'll swim to the middle and you can swim to me," Odd said letting her get to the side of the pool. Sam held herself up against the wall in nine feet of water.

"Ready?" Odd asked. She shook her head no. "Good, come on." He used his legs to keep him above the water and held out his hands. Sam took a deep breath and attempted to swim.

"No! Sammy relax! If you thrash you'll sink," Odd laughed swimming over and helping her back to the side. She gasped for air and pulled herself up to sit.

"This is a bad idea, I don't swim. You swim, I'll float," she said wrapping her arms around herself.

"Come on Sam. You're doing great."

"I almost drowned."

"No you didn't. I told you I wouldn't let you drowned, and I mean it." Odd pulled himself up on the side to sit next to her. She shook her head. In one fluid motion he stood up and scooped her up bridal style, holding her above the pool.

"NO! Odd! Put me down! Please! Put me DOWN!" she kicked her feet and swung her arms trying to escape him. Odd laughed.

"Uhm Odd? What are you doing?" Ulrich walked into the back yard with a skateboard under his arm.

"Teaching Sam to swim."

Yumi walked around to the side gate of Kia's house.

"Kia?" she ducked her head inside.

"Come on in Yumi! We're on the deck!" Kia called back. Kia was laying on a beach towel next to the pool in a pink and purple poka-dot bikini with a pair of thick rimmed sunglasses. Yumi was in a black bikini with a pair of grey short shorts, black towel tucked under her arm. There were a handful of other girls sitting around a table in the middle of the deck. Kia jumped up to make quick introductions.

"Yumi this Erin," She pointed to a girl with long red hair tied up in a blue bikini. "This is Dori," Dori was a brunette, her hair falling around her shoulders in an orange and yellow skirted bikini. "This is Molli," Molli had shorter dark brown hair and was in a dark pink skirted bikini with blue sunglasses. "Bridget," Kia pointed out a blonde in a purple one piece halter. "And last but not least, Jamie," Jamie was in an identical bathing suit as Kia with her light brown hair pulled into a messy bun. "Everyone, This is Yumi." The girls all waved. "Uh guys? Yumi's a new Angel," Kia snickered. The girls got devilish smiles on their faces.

"Initiation!" Jamie cheered jumping from her seat. The others laughed.

"Initiation? What is this? 5th grade band camp?" Yumi asked. Kia laughed.

"Or something like it. See that flag?" She pointed to a flag pole on the roof. (A/n cuz everyone has a flag pole on their roof..)

"Er, yea," Yumi answered. The flag was blue with a faded sun with a smiley face.

"You have to get that, in your bikini and bring it down." Yumi stared at her.

"What's the catch?" Molli pulled out a camera. Yumi groaned.

"We all have one," Dori laughed. "Even Kia." Yumi looked back at the 2 story house's roof.

"Does it matter how I get up there?" she asked.

"Nope," Kia answered. Yumi set down her towel, never turning down a challenge, walked into the house and up the stairs. The girls looked at each other and ran to the front of the house. Yumi climbed out Kia's bedroom window onto the roof. Carefully, she scooted over the flag pole. The rope was tied to tight and she couldn't get the knot out. With another deep breath she pulled herself up the pole reaching towards the flag. She unclipped the bottom and pulled herself up higher. The top hook took her a second longer.

"Kia?" Ulrich rode up on his skateboard.

"Where's Yumi?" Kia pointed up. Yumi was sliding back down the pole.

"…What is she doing?" He asked.

"Pole dancing," Kia answered.

"…Why?" This time Bridget answered.

"She's getting the flag. Duh." Yumi walked back to the edge holding the flag above her head for the girls to see. Molli snapped a picture.

"You can come down now Yumi," Kai laughed. The other girls clapped and hollered. Yumi went back though the window. She ran out the front door laughing.

"And the new girl on the block is no longer Dori," Erin smiled. Dori pumped her fist into the air.

"Hey Ulrich," Yumi smiled handing the flag over to Kia. Ulrich shook his head.

"I don't even want to know," he sighed.

"What's up?" she laughed.

"Odd, Charlie, and Sam are coming to crash your party, just thought I'd warn you." The other girls exchanged glances. Yumi smiled wickedly at Kia.

"Thanks babe, we have an idea for them. Uhm the flag pole thing, never happened," she winked and followed everyone into the backyard again. Ulrich was left shaking his head as he pulled out his cell phone. Kia took a running start and jumped into the pool. Molli and Dori sat on the side while Bridget, Jamie, and Erin returned to the table. Yumi placed herself in an empty chair.

"So your friends, what are we going to do with them?" Jamie asked. Yumi smiled.

"They're harmless really," Yumi started. At that moment there was a yelling and Charlie came through the gate with Odd right behind her on their skateboards. Sam had a small camcorder in hand. Charlie rode her skateboard off the diving board and did a front flip into the pool. Yumi and Jamie shot up from their seats as the others laughed hysterically. Odd came up behind Yumi with a bottle of whip cream.

"Yumi!" Erin yelled. To late Yumi was covered in seconds. She grabbed Odd and threw him over her shoulder into the pool before diving in herself. Bridget and Erin jumped in after her. Molli and Dori were knocked in, in the process. Kia was laughing so hard she was choking on water.

"Ulrich set this up didn't he?" Yumi asked surfacing and pushing her wet hair out of her eyes. Odd was trying to pull his self up the later, his soaked clothes holding him down.

"Odd!" she demanded. He laughed nervously, falling back into the water.

"Maybe hinted a little," he admitted. Yumi got out of the pool, pushing past Sam with her camcorder and headed for the front of the house.

"Yumi!" Kia called after her. "It's fine! Come on!" She was laughing. Charlie and taken off her soaked top revealing a purple bikini top. Yumi pushed her hair out of her face again as she turned the corner. Ulrich was waiting for her.

"Oh that was _cute_," she sneered.

"Sarcasm?" He asked standing up from where he was sitting in the driveway.

"A bit."

"Aww, don't be mad Yume, You know it was funny." She punched him in the arm.

"I'm stuck with these girls for at least a week, If they're freaked out and or mad, you four are so dead it's not even funny," she stated plainly.

"Did I mention you look extremely hot in that bikini?" Ulrich asked. Yumi blushed.

"Really? I thought- HEY! Nice try buddy, but I don't think so. Come on, we're going to see how much trouble you're in," she grabbed him by the arm and pulled him into the yard.

"Yumi you're wet!" he protested with a laugh. Odd was sitting on a floaty trying to get his hair to stay in it's shape. Charlie was laughing and talking with a few of the girls and Sam was walking around with her camcorder. The girls waved and made faces.

"Ulrich! Did you come to swim with us?" Bridget yelled from the pool.

"Haha.. No." Bridget splashed him.

"Join the party," Kai laughed shaking her head.

* * *

**A/n: Wow.. that sucked. The next chapter will be funnier because i'll drink alot of water which is always a good sign for insanity purposes.**

**divinedragon7: Thanks!**

**Lyokogal7503: lol. I see Ulrich as the protective older brother. It fits him the way he acts with Yumi.**

**Vic: Thank ya Vic. ttyl**

**katfish xX: yay is a very important word. it lets the world know how happy you are. as in YAY CL SEASON 3 COMES OUT IN SEPTEMBER. lol.**

**Tsuiraku Nami: Glad i could help. Thaks so much for reading!**

**top20fan13: thanks!**

**knightx: glad to make you laugh. luck needed.**

**Kim: well.. more so than other days. SHH YOU'LL RUIN IT.**

**Amaherst: Thanks for reading, glad i could make you laugh.**

**Flames and Chaos: lemme guess, you like fuff? lol. thanks for reading.**

**PrincessYumi44: i hate when that happens! thanks for reading anyways.**

**Fairie Fan of Fluff: My friend said that to me when we were out with out boyfriends :sweat drops: Your review was my favorite. lol keep reading.**


	6. Gymnastics and Swimming

Chapter Six: Gymnastics and Swimming

Disclaimer: I don't own Rush, and I don't own CL. Ok? Ok.

Warnings: This chapter is insane. Yep.

* * *

"**C**harlie. Marie. Stern. What on earth are you wearing?" Ulrich asked, dropping Charlie's duffle bag onto the padded floor. Charlie was warming up in a lime green and black leotard.

"Gymnastics uniform. Duh," she answered, doing a front handspring. Yumi wrapped her arms around Ulrich's neck from behind and yawned. He spun around.

"Hey Yumi, how was practice?"

"Boot Camp," she corrected jokingly. "Fine; hard work. I was sore from yesterday," she said opening one eye. He draped his arms around her waist.

"Break it up, break it up, this is no place for PDA," Odd laughed walking into the gym.

"Come to watch me tryout?" Charlie asked.

"Nope, heard they were giving away free ice cream," Odd winked. Charlie rolled her eyes.

"Thanks for the loving support."

"No problem." Charlie sighed and went back out to the center of the mats.

"Charli-"

'Thud'

William hit the mats as Charlie bowled into him halfway through a backhand spring.

"Oh my god! Will!" She dropped down to see if he was alright.

"You have got to stop hitting me in the head," he said sitting up.

"Actually…" Ulrich started. Yumi nudged him playfully.

"Play nice," she teased. He raised an eye brow.

"Play nice, huh?" he scooped her up and carried her towards the bleachers.

"Ulrich!" she squealed, kicking her feet.

"Ugh, you two. It's not funny anymore," Odd pretended to gag as Charlie helped William up.

"Go sit down where I can't hurt you, please," the youngest Stern laughed lightly.

"Good luck." He gave her a quick kiss before retreating to the bleachers. Ulrich had Yumi secured in his arms on his lap. She looked about ready to fall asleep.

"Wake up Yumi," he laughed. She shook her head and sunk farther into him. Charlie had been called for try outs and was now standing in the middle of the mats.

"Oh no," Odd sighed.

"What?" Yumi asked. Music started in the background.

"She's going to dance."

Into your head, into your mind  
out of your soul, race through your veins  
You can't escape, you can't escape.

Charlie started her routine with a double back handspring into a back walk over.

Into your life, into your dreams,  
Out of the dark, so light again.  
You can't explain, you can't explain.

She turned and did a front handspring into another back handspring. She started a bit of a dance routine, spinning and then doing a round off.

Can You feel it, can you feel it,  
Rushin' through your hair,  
Rushin' through your head,  
Can you feel it, can you feel it,

She finished with a hand stand and landed a front walk over.

"Thank you Charlie. You can try the vault now," the coach said turning off the music. Charlie finished with her tryouts and walked over to the bleachers.

"Great job Chare," Ulrich smiled.

"Sissi Delmas?" the coach yelled. Odd's eyes got wide.

"Oh we're so staying for this," he cheered. Yumi snickered.

"What are you trying out for?" the coach asked.

"Beam," Sissi answered. Sissi was dressed in a bright pink leotard.

"My eyes burn," William whispered to Charlie as she downed a whole water bottle. She almost choked. Sissi walked the length of the beam and turned around. She landed a single cartwheel.

"Wow," Ulrich murmured. Sissi turned to do another cartwheel and fell off.

"OWW!" They all burst out laughing. Sissi turned bright red and quickly mounted the beam again. She did two more cartwheels, a backs bend and a front handspring before landing on the mats.

"Know what's scary?" Charlie asked.

"What?" Ulrich asked.

"Good job Sissi!" She waved to the girl as she hurried off the floor. Sissi smiled smugly and waved back.

"She wasn't that bad," Charlie sighed. The five of them left the gym. Yumi and Ulrich exchanged glances and smirked.

"Sissi fell off the beam," Yumi whispered. They both broke out into laughter. William shook his head.

"Charlie, lunch?" he asked. Ulrich glared at him for a second.

"Yeah, sure. Lemme go change." She headed off to her dorm.

"Wanna spar Yumi?" Ulrich asked after they left. She groaned.

"_No_. I can barely lift my legs. Can't we go like.. watch TV?" He laughed.

"Sure Yumes. Wanna come Odd?"

"Oh I want nothing to do with you two's love fest. Have fun without me," Odd said holding his hands up defensively. Yumi weakly faked a punch.

**__**

O0o0o0o0o0o Summer

Jeremy switched on the supercomputer's main screen.

"At least now we can get some work done," he said to Aelita. She dropped her pink backpack to the floor and pulled up a chair.

"Terrific," she said dryly.

"You didn't have to come you know," Jeremy snickered.

"And just what am I suppose to do while you're working?" she asked.

"Something normal," he answered.

"Like?" She folded her arms and rested her chin on them.

"I don't know. Go down to the rec. center. Sign up for something," Jeremy said opening the anti-virus program.

"And leave you here?" she asked sweetly.

"Yes. Here. Alone," he said dramatically.

"Ok!" Aelita chirped. Jeremy rolled his eyes.

"If you need my help call me." She kissed his cheek and he smiled. "Are you sure you don't mind?" she asked grabbing her bag.

"No. Only one of us can work on the supercomputer at a time anyways. Have fun." She hit the elevator button running.

**__**

o0o0o0o Summer

"_Daddy! No! I don't want to!" The little girl fought and tired to drag her feet. _

"_Don't you want to swim?" Her father asked._

"_NO!" Her protest continued. Finally, her father scooped up the little girl and carried her to the pool deck. _

"_Go swim with the other kids," he laughed. _

Aelita stopped herself short in front of the rec. center and put a hand to her head.

'Dad?' she mused. She shook the thoughts from her head and walked in.

"Can I help you?" the girl at the front desk asked.

"Uh yeah. What clubs are there for the summer?" Aelita asked. She felt like she had been in that same spot a million times.

"_Little Aelita! Going swimming again? You little fish!"_

"We have chess, pottery, swimming-"

"Uh, do you have information on the swim club? she interrupted.

**__**

o0o0o0o Summer

"Yeah Yumi. Swimming. Uh huh. I just have one request, take me shopping for a bathing suit. Please? Yay! It's everyday from ten till noon. Yeah. Ok, I have to call Jer now. Mmhmm. Bye." Aelita hung up her cell phone and tucked a yellow flyer into her back pocket. She dialed Jeremy's number. "Hey Jer, I found something to do," She giggled. "I'm not going till tomorrow, need any help?"

**__**

o0o0o0o Summer

"Who was that?" Ulrich asked. Yumi tossed her cell phone across the room where it landed on a chair.

"Aelita," she yawned, sitting back down half on Ulrich. "She wants me to take her bathing suit shopping." Ulrich snickered.

"Have fun."

"You get to come."

'_silence'_

"How does that work?" he asked. Yumi giggled quietly.

"YUMI? ARE YOU HEEERE!" Hiroki came in the front door.

"Oh no," Yumi groaned wrapping her arms around Ulrich.

"YUMI? I HAVE A NEW TOY!" Hiroki yelled running into the living room. "ULRICH!" He dropped his bag next to his feet.

"What are you doing here?" Yumi groaned again.

"Hiroki? Go play!" she yelled.

"Hanging out with your sister," Ulrich answered over her.

"Oh." Hiroki reached into his bag and pulled out a squirt gun. "Look!" He held it up proudly. Yumi and Ulrich's eyes went wide.

"Is that loaded?" Yumi asked.

"Yep!" He proceeded to spray them. Yumi yelped and pulled herself from Ulrich, running towards the front yard. Ulrich grinned at Hiroki.

**__**

o0o0o0o Summer 

"Let me go!" Yumi wailed trying to free herself from Ulrich's grip as Hiroki laughed hysterically while spraying her.

"Aw, come on Yumi," Ulrich whispered in her ear. "I'm having so much fun." He was holding her with her arms behind her back. She thrashed and pulled him to the ground with her. He was forced to let go of her arms but rolled over on top of her. They were both red faced with laughter.

"Get him Hiroki!" Yumi yelled. Hiroki turned the squirt gun on Ulrich.

"Treason!" Ulrich laughed. Yumi held him against her as he tried to escape the wetness.

* * *

A/n: **Thanks for reading guys. Sorry I took so long. Next update with the next one. Review time!**

Lyokogal7503: Oh, yes. He is.

Flames and Chaos: Hate it when that happens. Thanks for reading.

knightx: Thanks! That's awesome of you.

PrincessYumi44: Thanks so much! (!'s make the world go round) lol.

midnightlover7335: Thanks! Keep reading.

top20fan13: Thanks. You too.

katfish xX: LOL random out bursts are awesome. Thanks, it made my day.

Tsuiraku Nami: Thanks! Keep reading!

Tina: I know. OMG THAT WOULD BE SO AWESOME!

FFOF who is LAZY: Poles are fun. Have fun with the fam.

DisCrazyPnai: Thanks! Keep reading.

Kim: lol. TTYL Kim. My PHONE IS BROKE. 


	7. Dangerous Ecstasy

**Chapter seven: Dangerous Ecstasy**

**A/n: Omg. please don't hate me! This took forever. I was grounded, and then I had writers block. And then I was lazy, and I got sick. Pleace forgive me! I'm Just a poor authoress! Everyone can thank Laura for this chapter because she practically made me write it. And told me no one would kill me. And picked the Chapter name. So THANKS LAURA! **

**Warning: Well... it's a tad... strange. And.. Someone gets hurt. so you've been warned.**

* * *

"I can't _believe_ I'm being forced into this," Ulrich muttered to himself as he walked behind Yumi and Aelita through yet another store.

"Well what kind of swimming is it?" Yumi was asking.

"Speed, like relay and stuff," Aelita answered.

"Then a one piece. The less fancy, the quicker it will be." Yumi pulled a black one piece off a rack. Ulrich was trying to not look like he was shopping with them.

"No, it's so.. Dull," Aelita grabbed a red one that was similar.

"How about this?" She asked.

"_This one daddy! This one!" The little girl eagerly held up a small red bathing suit. _

"_Are you sure princess?" He asked taking it from her._

"_Yep!" She nodded fiercely. _

"_If it's what you want."_

Aelita blinked as Yumi waved a hand in front of her face.

"Are you alright? You kinda spaced out." Yumi let her hand drop back down to her side.

"Huh? Oh-oh yeah! I was just thinking." Aelita waved off the memory and checked the price tag on the bathing suit. Ulrich raised an eyebrow to Yumi who shrugged in response.

"Alright. Let's.. get out of here. Ulrich looks uncomfortable," Aelita smiled and Ulrich blushed, muttering something like 'you don't say' which earned a glare from Yumi.

_**o0o0o0o Summer**_

"Swimming huh?"

"Search engine huh?" Aelita dropped herself down in her usual seat.

"You go first." Jeremy stopped his work and turned his full attention to Aelita. The pinknette dug in her bag, pulled out her red bathing suit.

"See? Your turn." Jeremy rolled his eyes.

"That's it? No story?"

"Well unless you'd like me to model it for you."

"No more spending time with Odd. He's effecting your brain."

"I did say your turn I believe."

'sigh'

"Right. Well, it's a search engine that will help me retrieve my information faster, therefore saving time. Oh, and it's a lot more organized." Aelita's eyes were unfocused, staring past Jeremy's face. He waved his hand in front of her face.

"Why do people keep doing that to me today?" She demanded.

_**o0o0o0o Summer**_

"Sam, why are you dressed like that?" Odd asked. Sam grinned evilly.

"We are going to a rave in upper Paris tonight." Odd had moved off his bed to wrap his arms around Sam's waist.

"Underground?" He asked. She winked.

"The only way to go. Invite your friends. We're leaving at 9. Luke said he'd drive." Odd's face fell.

"Sammy, Luke? I don't like Luke. You know I don't like Luke," he whined

"Well he's our ride. Sooo.. Dancing with me, or home playing computer games." She kissed him and headed out of the room. She passed Ulrich in the doorway.

"We're going to a rave with Sam tonight," Odd said reaching for his cell phone.

"What? I'm not going-"

"Yumes? Yeah, up for a party tonight? Yep. Meet us at nine, bye." He turned to Ulrich with a grin. "Yumi said she's going. You're not going to let her go _alone_ are you?" His roommate growled.

"Fine," He muttered. Odd was already dialing again.

"Hey Chare, Wanna go to a rave with me, Sam, Ulrich, and Yumi? Sure, leaving at nine. Bye." Odd hung up looking accomplished. "You'll like this, Will isn't going." Ulrich grinned a bit.

"This is a bad idea."

_**o0o0o0o Summer**_

"This is a very bad idea!" Yumi yelled as she blindfolded herself. She was crammed into a car where she was sitting on Ulrich's lap growling. After about 20 minutes of persuading, begging, and threats, the girl finally agreed to put the blindfold on.

"Why do I even have to wear this?" She growled.

"We could always just stay home you know," Ulrich offered. Yumi folded her arms in protest.

"You just can't see where the rave is at it's… trust me ok?" Sam said as she got into the front seat. Yumi muttered darkly. Charlie, on the other hand, was as excited as a little kid in a candy shop.

"How long is the drive?" She asked. She was squished in between Odd and Ulrich.

"Not that long," Luke answered. He seemed annoyed by all of them. Charlie tugged at her blindfold, letting her other hand drum impatiently on her leg. Odd snickered to himself, winking at Sam as she glanced in the rearview mirror.

"Oh shut up Odd, remember the first rave you went to with me?"

"Need we be reminded?" Luke asked. Odd glared.

_**o0o0o0o Summer**_

Odd and Sam disappeared into the mass of people dancing to loud music and blinding lights. Ulrich hung back with Yumi as she looked around. Luke had gone off with a group of friends Sam had practically attacked when she first walked in. The air was thick on their lungs with who knows what, the intoxicating music drawing them farther in. Charlie had managed to find someone to dance with and, much to Ulrich's liking, enjoying a William free night.

By midnight, Yumi and talked Ulrich into dancing. Crammed into the crowd of people dancing, they smiled shyly.

"Tell me you don't love this!" Odd yelled over the noise as he approached the two. His hair was drooping a bit, his clothes a mess. Yumi's eyes flickered in the lights as the song changed.

"The DJ's awesome!" She yelled back to him.

"Let's get something to drink," Ulrich took her hand and pulled her to the back of the building. Odd followed, a look of ecstasy on his face. Sam was leaning against a table in the back smiling, face wet with sweat.

"Having fun?" She asked.

"Are you kidding? This is so cool." Yumi reached for a glass. Odd batted at her hand.

"Wouldn't drink that if I was you." She grabbed an clean cup from a stack.

"Then I'll get some water. Be right back." She walked off in the direction of the restrooms. There was bound to be a drinking fountain there. Ulrich's smile dropped immediately.

"How long is this? I hate it." Odd and Sam stared at him.

"Another hour or two," Sam answered, eyeing him strangely. Ulrich glanced over her shoulder.

"Isn't that Luke?" He asked. The other two followed his gaze.

"Yeah," Sam answered. Luke was standing face to face with someone. They appeared to be yelling but they couldn't hear them over the music.

"Be right back." Ulrich walked towards the two.

"Bad idea! Come back!" Sam yelled.

"Let him go. He's not going to listen." Ulrich seemed to interrupt their argument. Luke shoved him back a little, turning to the other teen.

"That's Roger," Sam said over the music to Odd. Panic rose into her face. Roger pulled something from his pocket and moved quickly at Luke.

"Ulrich?" Yumi called out. Odd turned to the girl who had just walked up. Ulrich had moved between the two fighting boys.

"What is he doing!" She called. Roger clutched a knife in his right hand, teeth clenched. Yumi moved to go after him.

"Grab her! Roger's gonna lose it!" Sam yelled. Odd grabbed her wrist with one hand and her waist with the other, pulling her back away from Ulrich's direction.

"Ulrich!" She yelled. It was too late. Roger and lunged at Luke with the knife. Sam stood in disbelief, unable to move. Yumi's horrified look changed as the cold blade of the knife dug into Ulrich's skin. He got in the way.

"Ulrich!" Yumi fought to break Odd's grip. Tears had formed in her eyes and she gasped desperately for air. Odd turned her against the wall. Holding her between the cold concrete and himself.

"Calm down Yumi, calm down! You can't help him like this," Odd whispered in her ear. She was crying hysterically. The music stopped abruptly as someone screamed.

"You stupid hero! Ulrich you stupid, goddamn hero! Why couldn't you stay out of it!" Yumi tried to turn around but Odd held tight.

"Don't look Yumes, it'll be ok." Sam had finally snapped out of her frozen state.

"911? We have an emergency!"

"Ulrich?" Charlie's voice rose of the hysteria. "Oh my god! Ulrich what happened!" Ulrich was on the ground, holding his chest, breathing hard, gasping breaths. Yumi's knees gave out and she slid down the wall onto the ground.

"Ulrich!" She cried again. Odd sat on the floor with her, rocking her. Her strength was gone as her eyes traveled over to Ulrich. A helpless feeling had settled in her stomach. The faint sounds of sirens grew as an ambulance made it's way to the rave. This was so much more then they had expected.

_**o0o0o0o Summer**_

Yumi wrapped her arms around herself, sobs racking her body as she sat in the hospital waiting room. Her eyes deceived her, echoing her fear. It was three in the morning. She and Odd were the only ones there. Sam had got a ride home from Luke, Yumi and Odd rode in the ambulance. An orderly had walked into the waiting room and leaned over the main desk. He whispered something to the nurse who pointed at the two. By this time, Charlie was walking through the doors with an arm full of coffee.

"How is he?" Yumi's cracked voice managed to ask. She looked like a ghost.

"Lucky," The orderly answered running a hand through his light blonde hair. Charlie handed Odd a cup and held the other one out for Yumi.

"He's alive, and recovering. The knife missed his lung, luckily." Yumi felt herself starting to cry again. "He should just be getting out of surgery."

'Don't ask. You don't want to." Yumi's mind was commanding her.

"Can I see him?"

"Can we see him?" Odd echoed. Yumi blushed. She meant we, she did.

"It's past visiting hours, if you come back in the morning you can though." The orderly gave them a smile and walked back out the doors. Unwanted tears spilled from Yumi's eyes.

"We'll be back first thing." She stood up and walked out the door.

"Yumi! Wait!" Charlie ran after her, Odd not far behind.

"You're staying with us tonight ok?" Yumi nodded wiping at her tears.

"Thanks."

* * *

**ChllTown Gal: Lol. Thanks! I'm glad you're back on!**

**top20fan13: thanks a bunch! I love summer.**

**katfish xX: I have to be mean to sissi. It's in my blood. I am using that phrase forever! Polka dots are sweet! Little brothers should not be given squirt guns.**

**Lyokogal7503: Thanks! everyone needs a good laugh.**

**divinedragon7: thanks!**

**Flames and Chaos: Well that's something i didnt think of!**

**Melcho: Thanks!**

**Amaherst: Thanks! I really thought hard about that scene.**

**PrincessYumi44: Thanks! i love writing it**

**Knightx: I'm so mean to them... lol. thanks fro reading**

**Tsuiraku Nami: Thank you! Total greatness.. i could get used to that.**

**Sparkling mist: Tina. I love you my love. we'll talk about your review later k?**

**Kim: ops. i'll call you later 2.**

**Vic: Hiroki is adorable! thankss**

**general observation board: Hello. Jeremy and Aelita fluff. I can do that. I love doing that. Next chapter! Promise!**

**Midnightlover7335: thanks!**

**YayForPie:.. i love your penname. Thanks for reading!**


	8. Circle Time With The Angels

**Chapter Eight**

**A/n: Wow.. I'm so sorry. I've been SOOOO busy. You don't even know. I'm sorry. I'm already working on the next chapter. I swear I won't go over the two week mark without another update. NEW CL STARTS MONDAY!**

So, she managed to cry herself to sleep in less than five minutes. When she finally did pass out I dropped down onto the floor next to Odd.

"Say he'll be ok," I whispered pulling my knees up. Odd scooted over next to me.

"He'll be ok."

"Stupid hero, Yumi was right!"

"You know how he is." Odd has been my second brother since I was four. Many nights we'd spent huddled together in hospital waiting rooms after some stunt my dear brother had pulled. Every time was bad. Every time I thought I was going to lose him. This time was no different. Stupid hero.

"Get some sleep Chare." Odd gave my shoulder a squeeze. He waited until I was in bed before he slipped into his sleeping bag. The sun would be up before I finally went to sleep. Of course, the fact that sunlight was in less than 2 hours didn't help. I went to bed a mess of glitter, sweat and worry.

**_o0o0o0o Summer_**

When the light was finally too bright to handle, I rolled onto the floor, onto Odd, and woke him up.

"Stern!" He grumbled into his pillow. Such a morning person.

"Get up, we have to go see Ulrich." I looked over to his bed. It was made and lacking one Yumi. She must have left before us. Finally Odd shoved me off onto the floor.

"Where's Yumi?" He yawned.

"Not here. Duh." I checked the clock. Visiting hours started in a half hour. No doubt she was already there begging to be let in.

**_o0o0o0o Summer_**

Yumi was sitting in a fresh set of clothes on the end of Ulrich's bed, fingers laced like the lovebirds they are. Ulrich attempted to lift his head when we walked in. He was trying to smile, looking exhausted.

"Hey twinny." Yumi turned her head, immediately painting on a smile in attempts to hide her puffy red eyes.

"Hey guys. Sorry I left without you. You were asleep and we were up late…" She trailed off and I heard about… ok so I didn't really hear any of it. My eyes were drawn to the machines they had Ulrich on. I bet I can name all but one of them.

"Don't worry about it Yumes. Why don't you go call Aelita? Let her know I'm fine and she can stop panicking?" Ulrich gave her had a squeeze and she looked at him nervously. "I'm fine-" He broke in to a cough sure to convince her he was in his death bed. Smooth bro.

"I'll be back soon." She let her eyes linger on him a little longer and then headed out of the room. Ulrich sighed and thumped his head once on his pillow.

"You should have seen her. She looked scared out of her mind. Did you know Yumi hates hospitals with every fiber of her being? I couldn't even.. I couldn't even hold her, tell her It'd be ok." He clenched his teeth, shutting his eyes.

"It's ok. Yumi's tough. She'll get through this just fine," Odd reassured him. "You on the other hand have a rough recovery ahead my friend." Oh recovery was always so much fun with Odd.

"_Aw, Chare! Are you sick? Would you like a steak? How about some mash potatoes? .. Chare? Are you throwing up again?"_

Ulrich sighed in disgust.

"I should have been able to-"

"Oh shut up! You get yourself into these situations! Of course she's scared! You could have died.." He stopped mid-sentence and opened his eyes to look at me.

"What did the doctors say?" Odd asked.

"They'll let me out of her in about two days."

"If you listen," I grumbled. Ulrich had a habit of never listening to doctors.

"How was Yumi last night?" Oh yeah, he debated asking that.

"Er.." Odd ran his hand through his hair.

"That bad?"

"She cried herself to sleep in your bed."

"You're so helpful Charlie."

"That's because I love you Ulrich." We smiled at each other in pure sarcasm. And then he asked the stupidest question ever.

"Are you mad?"

"Yep."

"Just checking."

"Not to break up the brother sister love but you need your rest, don't worry ok Ulrich? Like I said, don't worry about Yumi, get better, warm fuzzies." I felt myself being dragged away from the hospital bed. Ulrich fell asleep in almost an instant…. Yeah Odd was right, he needs his rest.

Yumi met us at the door as we were walking out.

"Hey Yumi? I need you to do something for me ok? Ulrich's asleep now, but if anything happens, he gets worse or we find out anything call me." Yumi nodded, rubbing at her eyes.

"Why did you do that?" I whispered. The doctors will CALL me when they find anything out.

"Yumi does better with a purpose." So.. He just knows his friends really well.

**POV Change**

**_o0o0o0o Summer_**

Sat in the chair next to Ulrich's bed, her eyes stung with tears as she watched monitors. She hated hospitals. HATED them. A completely helpless feeling washed over her.

"I'm sorry," Ulrich whispered.

"I thought you were asleep."

"I won't break if you sit with me." He opened one eye. Yumi shifted in her chair.

"You scared me, you know?"

"I'm sorry Yumi. I'm so, so sorry. It was stupid and I don't know what I was thinking. I just… I don't know what I'll do if you can't forgive me." He looked up at her with pleading eyes. Yumi moved onto his bed.

"Of course I forgive you. I can't NOT forgive you." She laced her fingers with his. Ulrich squeezed her hand.

"I love you, Yumi." Her eyes filled with tears.

"Then promise me you'll never do something so stupid ever again."

"I promise." Yumi carefully laid her head down on Ulrich's shoulder.

'Ring'

"I'm ignoring it."

'Ring'

"It's just going to keep ringing."

'Ring'

"Not. Answering."

'Ring'

"Answer it."

'Ring'

"…"

'Ring'

"FINE!"

Yumi dug into her pocket as she sat up.

"Hello? Hey Kia. Meeting…? Oh. Crap sorry, I'm on my way. I- actually Kia, I can't. Can you fill me in later I'm-"

"Whatever it is, just go. I'll be fine." Ulrich smiled.

"Are you sure?" Yumi asked. "It's not that important.. Shut up Kiki! It's not."

"It's fine."

"Alright… Kia? I'll be there in a bit." She hung up her phone. "I'm so sorry Ulrich. I forgot about these stupid meetings. Today was suppose to be at Kadic but they have the room we have signed out in use, so we'll be at Kai's." She sighed and gave him a delicate kiss. "I love you," She murmured.

"I'll be back!"

**_o0o0o0o Summer_**

When Yumi finally reached Kia's house, there was a circle of girls on the front lawn under the shade of an oak tree. Jamie and Kia were at the top of the circle, the others filled all the way around, leaving one open spot between Dori and Molli.

Jamie slipped off her sunglasses and gave Yumi a lazy wave. Yumi managed a limp wave as she started up the driveway.

"Finally!" Kia laughed. She was dressed in her trademark navy shorts and pink hoodie. Yumi smiled to herself, noticing they all matched. She was in her own black hoodie that read 'Jubban' in white letters with a volleyball.

"She didn't lie," Erin laughed noticing all the small volleyballs down her right arm. "What years?"

"02', 03' and 04' seasons and off seasons 02' and 03'." There was a murmur of approval.

"Not bad," Molli laughed.

"Anyways, we can chat seasons later. Right now lets talk camps!" Kia cheered.

"First," Molli interrupted, "Let's talk shirts. Boot camp shirts come in tomorrow."

"Uh…?" Yumi blinked.

"Yearly tradition," Bridget explained.

"So many traditions!" Yumi laughed.

"We're a team," Jamie reminded her. All of the girls had played at least four seasons. Kia, Jamie and Erin played starter seasons when they were ten together and played every season since. They could defiantly play like a team.

"We ordered you one too Yumi. You're not left out. Back to camps. We have a few dozen girls on our rosters. I say we go as two's and take 12 each and coach them as teams." There was Kia's captain side taking over. Bridget opened the purple binder that had been sitting in front of her.

"And the team shirts. We need color and a team name." Dori waved her arms in the air.

"Suggestion?"

"Black and silver. Junior Angels," I large smile took up most of her face. Molli laughed.

"Love it."

"Agreed." Yumi glanced over her shoulder.

"Everything ok?" Bridget asked.

"Yeah… well.. Ulrich's in the hospital. I feel kind of guilty for leaving him by himself." There was a round of gasps.

"Oh my gosh, is he ok?" Kia asked, her expressive eyes were full of concern

"He will be."

"Anything we can do?" Jamie asked. Yumi waved it off..

"He'll be fine."

'_He promised.'_

"So, what are the coaching teams?" she asked.

"Number game?" Dori suggested.

"Nope." Jamie stood up.

Co-Captain.

"Kai and Yumi, Molli and Bridget and Dori and myself." No argument was made.

"Alright. Let's cut it for today. See everyone tomorrow. I'll have team lists and your coach shirts. Yes Yumi, we get shirts for everything," Kia said as Yumi went to question her.

"See you guys." The girls stood up and headed home.

"Oh and Yumi, tell Ulrich when he's feeling better he's invited to be a guest of honor at the tournament. Whitney and Ryan, Dori and Jamie's boyfriends, will be there. We always save seats for them. There'll be a party afterwards," Kai winked. The invitation felt strangely comforting, like a lost routine picked back up again. She hadn't been part of a team in awhile. Well then again, she had, just not with volleyball and a cocky grin.

**A/n: R&R! I could reach my onehundred mark this chapter! Thank you guys so much.**

**HiddenDreamLuv2005: Thanks, I'll definetly check them out! thanks for the review.**

**Flames Chaos and Wolf: Very cute. Lol. thanks for the review.**

**iamarandomperson: thanks!**

**midnightlover7335: I almost CRIED writing this. i HATE hurting my characters. but dont worry. i'll returnt them to the show in one piece. thanks.**

**knightx: ew, dark. What is wrong with me? lol thanks for the review**

**top20fan13: Thanks you!**

**Tsuiraku Nami: Yay! thank you so much. sorry im a slow authoress. BAD RENA BAD. **

**divinedragon7: Thank you so much!**

**Kat: Thankkks Kat. I'M SORRY CHARLIE BLAME JENN!**

**melcho: thanks you!**

**PrincessYumi44: Thanks for reading!**

**Vic: lol, thanks for reading anyways!**

**Angered Darkness: Thank you!**


	9. Arrving

**Chapter Nine: Arriving**

**Disclaimer: Roses are red, violets are blue, I don't own, please don't sue.**

**Authoress Note: I'm a terrible, terrible authoress who is playing volleyball AND taking AP classes in school. Volleyball plus school equals writers block. I'm so sorry you guys, I tried so hard it just wasnt going to happen. My beta was beating me over the head. You WILL get a new update before new years, Ok? Cross my heart and hope to be shot at by angry mobs. Oh and everyone!?? I reached 100!! Vic, my girl! You were it!**

**Dedicated: To Jeni, for her creative help she didn't even know she was giving, and to my betas. Thanks guys. Oh and Merry Christmas everyone! OOOrrr whatever YOU celebrate!**

* * *

Yumi slipped quietly out of Ulrich's hospital room and made her way down the hall at six am. 

'Alright. Now all you have to do is not get caught,' She thought to herself. It was only 4 hours before visiting hours.

"Excuse me miss," a doctor tapped her shoulder.

"Oh hi. Uh.. my friend rolled her ankle." She remembered she was dressed to practice. "I was bringing her, now I have to get back to practice." She turned quickly to leave.

"Isn't it a little a little early?" Yumi shrugged.

"Coach likes our minds fresh. We work better." She waved and quickly made her way out of the hospital. A shiver hit her where the doctor touched her should and she shuddered.

"Hey, little girl! Want some candy?" Yumi spun around.

"Excuse me?" A mess of black hair and blue eyes taunted her.

"Hey cuz."

"Tyler?" What are you doing here?"

"What I cant visit my own cousin?"

"Your cousin is late for a meeting." Tyler smiled again.

"Car's around front. You can have a ride if you tell me why you're in volleyball gear again." She bit, letting him drag her to his new car.

"Aunt Kelly said you were looking for a job down here," Yumi said as she got in.

"Yes, I am. I get to question first. And your mom told me about the team anyways. And about your boyfriend?" He pulled his hoodie over his head at the next stop sign, tossing it behind him.

"Ah, mother has a huge mouth." Yumi shifted a bit to change the radio.

"He wasn't really hurt playing soccer was he?" Not a day in her life could Yumi lie to her cousin. Not from the day she could speak.

"We went to a rave."

"He got in a fight?"

"He broke one up." Tyler smiled.

"You me worried." He changed the station back. "Didn't you swear guys off?"

"You'll like him."

"I hope so for his sake." Yumi snicker and pointed at Kadic's gym.

"Thanks for the ride Ty. See you in a few hours ok?" She sprinted into the gym, already late.

"Yummers!" Kia laughed, cheerfully.

"He was asleep."

"Just wait till he wakes up!"

**_o0o0o0o Summer_**

"You want me to do what?" William almost choked on his soda.

"Catch me if I mess up." Charlie was stretching in her gymnastics uniform.

"But I don't know how! What if I drop you?"

"You won't." Odd walked in with Sam, interrupting the argument.

"See, he has faith in you." Charlie perked, getting on the beam.

"No, but if he drops you he's dead."

"Thanks Odd." William joined Charlie by the beam. She did a back walk over to warm up.

"Ready?" She asked. He nodded. Charlie took a breath and left the bar. She slipped falling with a yipe into William's waiting arms.

"One more time!" She was back up on the bar in seconds.

"The competition's in an hour," Sam reminded her.

'Thud Thud'

"YES! What NOW Odd?" She asked. "My practice time is over, the gym belongs to Sissi now. Come on William, let's get lunch. Sam and Odd? Keep your pants on." Charlie dragged William by the arm after her dismount.

**_o0o0o0o Summer_**

Aelita stood at the boards, goggles in one hand, towel in the other.

_'Are you ready for your first race, princess?'_

_'Yes!' The little girl jumped up and down. 'Now! Now!'_

"Ready Aelita?" The girl jumped back in surprise.

"Oh Jeremie, you scared me," she laughed at herself. "Yes I'm ready."

"Well, good luck. I know you'll do well." The blonde smiled at her. She smiled nervously as he took her towel for her. She got onto her board under her lane number.

_'Five!'_

"Five," She whispered. Like it was natural, she took her position. They blew the whistle, and she dove. She cut through the water, passing up the other swimmers. The crowd was cheering, and she hit the wall, flipping and heading back. She surfaced under her board, adrenalin rushing through her body. Jeremie was cheering the loudest as she pulled herself up onto the deck.

"Princess! You won!" She stripped of her goggles, panting and smiling.

"I won." It was a natural feeling, winning. Like she had won races a thousand times. " I won!" She laughed.

_'You won..'_

**_o0o0o0o Summer_**

Yumi stared at Tyler for the longest possible moment of her life. Her ears defied her, it had to be. What he was saying could not possibly be true. What he was telling her, what she would be doing, was a lie. He was kidding. Any second he'd laugh and she'd punch him.

Any Second Now.

* * *

**Angered Darkness: Thanks for the read! Sorry I took forever. **

**aelitafan13  
** **Sorry I took so long!** **Sparkling Mist**  
**Thanks Tina.** **PrincessYumi44**  
**Oh man i missed your reviews. heart. Thanks!!** **divinedragon7**  
**thank you.** **TheSaddleClub4life**  
**I'm trying! really i am** **Yumi2**  
**Well, i liked charlie when my friend thought her up, and i loved how she interacted with ulrich. She may not really LIKE William, she tends to bounce around from guy to guy.** **melcho  
** **next chapter! just wait!** **top20fan13**  
**thanks!** **MOPITA ITA DE LA SOPITA**  
**lol, you just cant kill Ulrich**

**Flames Chaos and Wolf**  
**Thank you** **Vic92091**  
**OMG 100!! YOU ARE AWESOME!** **nOt-X-dEaD-x-YeT**  
**He is stupid. Stupid BOY. thanks for reading! lol.** **knightx**  
**i seen tiny sarcasm... lol. Thanks.** **Japanese-Fanatic** **thanks for reading**


	10. Bring On Japan

**Chapter Ten:** **Bring On Japan **

**Disclaimer: Uhm, Code Lyoko isn't mine, sadly. You all know if it was what would happen**.

**A/N: Rena? Updating BEFORE her deadline? Without her 3am grace period? Unheard of. But, Yes. I am indeed updating. My beta can't kill me now.  
Dedication? To Kat, Jeni and Tina. Thanks for the kicks**.

* * *

There was just no way she was going to budge. The Japanese girl clutched the phone with fury as she said every swear word in every language she could possibly think of, including a few of which she made up as she went along. In any matter, she was angry, and her point was well received.

"Baka!" She yelled into the phone, "How could you be so _incredibly_ stupid?" Her face was red in outrage as she listened to what would be, to anyone else, a 'reasonable' explanation. "I will absolutely not calm down. You are my friend, she is blood short of being my family. What is wrong with you? Yes! Yes, I'm blaming you!" Tyler held Yumi's shoulders, giving her, or trying to, a bit of calm for the moment. "Just let me talk to Rika," she sighed. There was the sound of low mumbling before the phone was passed.

"Rika?" Yumi's tone completely changed. "How are you, hun? Why on earth did you…? Rika, we promised!" She almost smiled. "Not a chance. Not going to happen! I love you guys. Smack Keith in the head for being an idiot for me. Try not to die or anything before I get there and hug Tristan for me. Alright, see you then. Bye." She slammed the phone after she hung up.

"Problem, Yumi?" She took her head out of her hands to look up.

"Ulrich! Why are you not in a hospital bed?" she shrieked, and hugged him carefully. He held her as tight as possible.

"Because I'm not in a _hospital_?" he offered. She grinned into his chest. "I couldn't stay put. Missed you too much, and stuff." She almost cried.

"You're going to miss me even more." He looked puzzled.

"Why?" Yumi pulled him to the couch, resting her head on his shoulder.

"My best friend from Japan, Rika, is pregnant. My best, never messed up in her life, straight-A, 15-year-old, volleyball, softball, basketball star friend, is pregnant. I'm going to Japan to see her and help her move into an apartment her boyfriend's parents bought them." He hugged her, listening to her voice as she tried not to tear up.

"It's not the end of the world, Yumes. I'm going to miss you every second, though." Tyler raised an eyebrow.

"Hello," he said dryly. Ulrich looked up.

"Oh, sorry, hi."

"Yumi, this yours?" Tyler asked. Ulrich didn't seem to appreciate the comment.

"Yeah," she laughed, "Ulrich, this is my cousin Tyler. Tyler, Ulrich." Tyler had bipolared his way to friendly.

"Nice to meet you."

"I liked the balloons." Ulrich finally cracked a smile. "All 307 of them." Yumi giggled. "The nurses thought they were sweet."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Sure."

"No really, we ordered 308." Ulrich grinned, stroking her hair. "I'm so glad you're out of that horrible place," she whispered.

"Me too." He captured her lips. Tyler cleared his throat, perfectly ruining their moment.

"I could have sworn you said _'no chance'_ to Rika." Yumi blushed.

"There is no chance," she said through gritted teeth. It was Ulrich's turn to lift an eyebrow.

**_o0o0o0o Summer_**

The two stood side by side, blue ribbons in hand, delighted smiles gracing their features.

"Mines bigger," Charlie teased. She had pulled gray sweat pants on over her uniform.

"No it's not." Aelita had changed back into a pair of white shorts and a pink hoodie, still a little chilled from the water. The pink strands of hair were pulled straight back into a ponytail, the water keeping it in place.

"See Sam?" Odd put an arm around the girls shoulders. "And you said you felt sorry for the people I hang around with. And why? They're all winners!" He gave them both a goofy smile. Jeremie and Sam rolled their eyes.

"Well, It's only three, what next?" Aelita asked.

"Yeah, we've beat every competition they've put in front of us," Charlie boasted, "What do we do now, save the world?" she joked.

"Not today," Odd laughed.

"See how Yumi's little escapade went?" Sam offered.

"Great idea!" Odd released the two girls to pick up Sam and spin her.

"Odd!" she laughed. The group changed directions and headed for Yumi's house.

"I'm sure the balloons were well appreciated by the nurses, I'm beginning to like these angels Yumi's hanging out with. I bet we end up getting along great."

"Mm, Yeah. Just what we need. A whole group of girls that act just like Odd," Jeremie said cocking an eyebrow at the boy. Charlie snickered.

"An army of Odd, the world is doomed." Odd pouted.

"Sam? Are you going to let them talk to me like this?" he demanded. Sam paused a moment, pondering the thought, and then nodded.

"Yeah pretty much." The blonde threw his arms up.

**_o0o0o0o Summer_**

Tyler had left and Ulrich and Yumi were sitting in a very uncomfortable silence. Yumi cleared her throat and looked back up at her boyfriend.

"I want you to go with me," she stated simply.

"To Japan? Yumi, I can't afford Japan," Ulrich said meeting her eyes.

"I'll pay for your ticket, We can stay with Keith and Rika," Yumi moved to sit on the coffee table across from Ulrich.

"I can't ask you to do that."

"I'm asking you, as a favor. I really need someone to go with me. Besides, Rika's been dieing to meet you. I tell her all about you guys." Her eye were pleading.

"I don't know Yumes, Japan?" Ulrich looked skeptical. She increased the pout in her eyes.

"Al-Alright. I'll go." She lit up, jumping to hug him.

"Ow! Yumi! My-"

"Sorry! Sorry! Minor mental lapse!" She pulled back quickly. "Sorry," she said with a sheepish grin. Ulrich smiled.

"Are we interrupting?" Odd wriggled his eyebrows from the doorway.

"No one knocks anymore," Yumi sighed. Charlie pushed past Odd.

"You have friends, personal space is non-existent," she pointed out. "Oh yeah, Hi Twinny, glad you're not in hell.. Er.. The hospital." She held up her blue ribbon. "I took first on beam and floor today." Ulrich laughed.

"Great job, Chare." The others made their way into the living room.

"I won, too," Aelita displayed her ribbon for her friends to see. "First in freestyle."

"Naturally," Yumi laughed.

"Unlike you overachievers, all I want today is an ice cream," Odd grinned.

"Naturally," Ulrich said dryly.

"Anyways, we have something to tell you guys," Yumi changed the subject.

"You're getting married," Odd acted thrilled jumping around the living room. "I want to be the best man!" Yumi and Ulrich turned scarlet.

"Erm, No. We're going to Japan," Yumi coughed. Aelita looked at Jeremie and they shared a thought.

"Uhm, why?" Sam asked.

"To visit my friends, they're moving into their own apartment. And I haven't seen them since I left Japan," Yumi explained.

"And Ulrich's going because?" Charlie asked. "I mean hello, forget me? The sister? ..Who's never been to Japan?" Ulrich laughed.

"Chare, you'll be here all summer, I'll be gone for a week tops. And Japan isn't ready for you yet." Charlie pouted.

"Why are you the one always going off on adventures? I'm the one with the adventures genes! You got the… the.. Fast metabolism!" Charlie nodded to herself, proud of her argument.

"Tell you what, when I get back, we'll go camping. Adventurous enough?" Her brother asked. Sam shook her head at the siblings and then looked at Odd. An evil grin was forming on his face.

"Don't even think about it, Odd. I don't camp."

"I've never been camping.." Aelita blushed, leaving the comment open.

"We'll all go!" Charlie cheered. "It'll be fun! Really!"

"William's not coming," Ulrich added. Charlie stopped cheering.

"Uhm… fine! We're going camping! Odd! Remember when we went camping in the backyard?" She jumped up and pointed at the blonde. Odd nodded furiously.

"And you set the whole bag of marshmallows on fire."

"And you ate them!"

"And they tasted like burnt plastic!"

"Yeah! And then Ulrich got 'stuck' in the tent!"

"Because you put a lock on the zippers, yeah. Oh man, camping is going to be so fun!" There were tears in Charlie and Odd's eyes as they reminisced their camping experience.

"Right," Yumi looked at Ulrich, eye twitching. "Fun." He shrugged innocently. Sam and Jeremie groaned.

* * *

**A/n Happy New Year everyone! Next update: End of January!**

**Jenn: Thanks. No. I'm no sarcastic.**

**Melcho: Thanks for reading! YxU is my fav.**

**not-x-dead-x-yet: Hi! Well, maybe a little stupid. Thanks for reading.**

**top20fan13: Thank you! Merry belated Christmas.**

**Vic92091: Hey Vic! Homework, bleck, we need to talk! It's been forever! Thanks for dropping a review.**

**oddpayer205: Thanks**

**divinedragon7: thank you!**

**Tina: I always make your day. face it. I UPDATED.**

**Flames Chaos and Wolf: Sorry, I hate cliffies, they're just to fun to write. Uhm, Tyler is Yumi's cousin.**

**Demon-san0511LK: Thanks for reading! Sorry for the delay.**

**a-ko101: Thanks for reading!**


	11. Leaving Paris

**Chapter 11: Leaving Paris**

**Author Note: I seriously love my beta right now for kicking me into shape. Thanks doll. Midterms next week, so no update... give me two weeks? Two and a half at the most. Thanks guys!**

* * *

"I want details when you get back," Kia insisted. She tipped a water bottle full of lemonade into her mouth. "And, behave yourself with your boyfriend. How is he feeling by the way?" Yumi rolled her eyes. 

"He's better. The antibiotics they put him on made him sick but he's feeling up to speed now." They were tearing down the nets, the week long camp over finally. "And about behaving with Ulrich." Kia giggled as Yumi stretched up to unhook an antenna. Hands slipped around her hips, she shuttered, immediately knowing it was not Kia.

"And just why do we have to behave?" His breath tickled her neck and she melted as he moved his hands to rest on her exposed stomach.

"Mmm.. You're still injured. Maybe when you're feeling better." Kia coughed in protest.

"Hi. Single? Miserable?" Yumi turned around in Ulrich's grip.

"Eh, being single makes you strong." Kia whined.

"Finish the net!" Ulrich looked rather disappointed as Yumi stole a kiss and broke down the net. The brunette lifted her bag onto his shoulder.

"I can carry that you know," she pointed out tossing the folded net to Kia.

"I know. Be we need to hurry. We-" Kia glared. "I mean you, have to shower. We have a plane to catch." Yumi was not thrilled about the long plane ride.

"See you when I get back." Kia nodded and hugged her.

"Be safe."

"You too."

With that Ulrich was dragging her away.

**_o0o0o0o Summer_**

Jeremie opened the dorm door to see Aelita proudly displaying two more blue ribbons.

"You didn't tell me you have a meet today." He let her in and she giggled.

"I forgot until I got to the pool."

"I think they're running out of things for you to win." She blushed modestly.

"Have you been cooped up in here all day?" she asked. He blushed this time. "that's what I thought. Picnic?"

"After we say goodbye to Ulrich and Yumi?"

"Oh! Oh I forgot! We have to hurry! She pulled him out the door.

**_o0o0o0o Summer_**

After much begging, hinting, and eyebrow lifting, Yumi took a shower, letting Ulrich pack the remainder of her clothes. His cell phone rang, his sister's number appearing on the screen.

"Hello?"

"I got a turtle." He could almost hear her grin.

"A… turtle?"

"Yes. A turtle."

"A turtle."

"Yes! Are you deaf? A turtle."

"….. A water turtle?"

"No, Ulrich. An _air_ turtle. Yes a water turtle!"

"Well there are land turtles."

'Silence'

"Wanna know what I named him?"

"No."

Charlie didn't miss a beat.

"Little Ulrich."

"You named a turtle after me?"

"Yep."

"Why?" Yumi stuck her head in the door.

'Charlie,' Ulrich mouthed. She pulled her head back and stuck her arm in the door with her towel in hand and dropped it. Ulrich raised an eyebrow.

"He seems brooding, like you."

"Uh-huh." Yumi stuck her head back in the door.

"Yumi," he warned.

"Yumi's there?" Charlie asked. The door opened showing Yumi, fully dressed, in grey sweatpants, 'Kadic' written down the leg in red, paired with a tight white t-shirt with coach written across the chest in matching red letters. Ulrich looked a bit disappointed.

"Bye sis, we have to go."

"Bye twinny. See you next week!" Ulrich hung up, glaring at her.

"You shouldn't tease me like that," he pointed out.

"I shouldn't, but I do." She ran her fingers through her wet hair.

"Ready?" she asked.

"My bag's already in the car. Oh? By the way? Thanks for telling me your dad is driving us to the airport."

"Slipped my mind." She zipped her bag.

"I've already been lectured. Someone named Tristan I should know about?"

"Old friend of mine, he may be with Rika and Keith at the airport. They haven't heard from him in a while."

"Your dad doesn't like him." Yumi grinned.

"I know."

"So, Chare got a turtle." Yumi grabbed her brush.

"A turtle?"

"Yep, a water turtle."

"Why?" she brushed out her hair before shoving the brush in the front pocket of her carry-on bag.

"It reminded her of me." He picked up her suitcase.

"Very nice."

"What is?" Aelita smiled at her friends.

"Charlie got a turtle."

"Owww, very cool."

"She named it after Ulrich." Yumi hauled her carry-on over her shoulder. "You'll keep everyone out of trouble while we're gone?" she asked.

"We can try." Aelita hugged the older girl before hugging Ulrich.

"Bye guys, we'll keep you up-to-date on Xana." Jeremie waved goodbye, taking Aelita's hand.

**_o0o0o0o Summer_**

"What's with you and hugging? You don't normally hug," Ulrich questioned as they walked out to the car.

"Kia is a huggy person, and I was just saying goodbye to Lita." She made a face at him. He made one back.

"Mature." Mr. Ishiyama was leaning against the car as they came out. "And to think, I'm letting a couple of seven-year-olds fly to Japan alone."

"He started it." Yumi loaded her bag into the back seat of the black envoy.

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Did you say good bye to your mother, Yumi?" her father asked.

"Bye Mom!" Yumi yelled towards the house.

"Bye!"

"That's it?" Mr. Ishiyama decided to drop the question and not badger his teenage daughter with an argument he would not win.

"I fully expect you will keep her out of trouble, Ulrich." Of course, that didn't stop him from badgering his teenage daughters boyfriend.

" 'Her' has a name, and she's sitting right here. Besides who's gonna make sure Ulrich behaves?" Ulrich gave Yumi a 'Do you want me to die before we get to Japan?' look. Yumi smiled.

"Ok. I fully expect that you will keep Yumi out of trouble and stay out of trouble yourself. I still have friends in Japan, your mother and I do, and we'll hear all about it if you two make fools of yourselves." Ulrich nodded. Yumi stuck her tongue out.

**_o0o0o0o Summer_**

"What if it falls out of the sky?" Yumi stared at the large plane from the window the of boarding gates.

"It won't."

"And if it does?"

"We… die?" Ulrich flipped another page in his soccer magazine. Yumi turned her back to the window.

"I'm going to be a godmother. I don't want to die."

The airport bustled around the two as they sat at the nearly empty gate.

"You're not going to die."

Yumi stopped pacing and moved to the plastic chair next to Ulrich, muttering to herself about something her physics teacher had said about planes 'wanting' to fly.

"I think you're starting to take on Kia-like personalities." She stopped and blinked at him. "Not in a bad way... If that's possible. It's just, Kia's kind of peppy and loud and you weren't like that before you did that volleyball camp. You kind of picked it up from her, I think."

"I was like that long before Kia. Long before I came to France. I got it back from Kia." She silently wanted to add 'from that team,' but controlled herself.

"Now boarding Gate 22."

"At least it's not gate 13," Yumi commented picking up her bag.

They got on the plane, again, nearly empty, and took their seats. Seats 13 A and B. Yumi glowered at the number above the seats.

"About how long is the flight?" Ulrich asked. Yumi sat in her well-fought-for window seat.

"Oh... I'd say about ten hours." Ulrich glared at her.

"Ten hours?"

"On a plane with me," she nodded.

"What are we going to do for ten hours, Yumi?"

"Uhm...?"

_1 Hour Later_

"Got any queens?"

"Go Fish."

_2 Hours Later_

"I'll never play cards on a plane again."

_3 Hours Later_

"….Got any queens?"

_4 Hours Later_

"Ulrich? Are you asleep?"

_Poke_

Ulrich didn't move. Yumi dug in her bag from her camera.

_Click_

"Odd did say take lots of pictures. Picture number one, 'The Ride There.'" An older couple sitting across from them smiled at Yumi's verbal commentary.

_5 Hours Later_

"Yumi? What are you doing? Put the makeup down. You are not that bored." Ulrich tried to hold his girlfriends arms back.

_6 Hours Later_

"Picture number two, 'What Ten Hour Flights Are Good For.'" Ulrich tried to wipe off the mascara and eye shadow off with his sleeve.

_7 Hours Later_

"I can't believe I agreed to this." Yumi folded her arms and stared out the window.

"I let you do my makeup," Ulrich countered. He started the braid over for the third time.

"You're pulling."

"I've never done this before."

"Is it really that useful of a talent?"

"I may need it. Being a fountain of useless knowledge is what I strive for."

_8 Hours Later_

"Are they asleep?" the woman asked. Her husband nodded.

"Grab her camera." He did, handing it back to her. "Picture number three, 'Sleeping on Air.'" She laughed to herself and handed the camera back to her husband to slip back into Yumi's bag.

_10 Hours Later_

"Please return your seats to their upright positions. We will be landing in Tokyo Airport shortly. It is currently 71 degrees out and it is 4 am. Thank you for flying with us!"

Yumi cracked open one eye and looked at Ulrich who did the same to her.

"Four in the morning?" he asked.

"We can sleep when we get back to Rika's." She yawned and sat up.

"Will they be here to greet us?" It was almost sarcastic; no one in their right mind would pick them up this early in the morning.

"Of course they will be."

Ulrich stared at her blankly. As they left the got off the plane, Yumi could already see a sign with her name on it written in bright fuchsia letters.

"Ready?"

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**top20fan13: Thanks!**

**Flames Chaos and Wolf: No problem, thanks for reading **

**TwinkieTUTUS: updates are good. Lazy authoress? not so much. **

**Vic92091: Vic, i know how it goes between midterm cram and volleyball i'm bearly squeezing in time to shower! lol. maybe when things calm down, like febuary break! **

**Goddess of Lame 2.0: servers? Yes they suck. thanks for the review!**

**PrincessYumi44: Yes. Ah, i love the drama. **

**YumiluvsULrich234: Wow. Thats so nice! thanks bunches, hope you'll stick with me. **

**Sparkling Mist: Thanks love. ::dry::**

**Japanese-Fanatic: Yeah, Japan! I wanna go there. ::is jealous of Yumi and Ulrich:: thanks for reading! night dreamer  
Thanks!**

**kite: I tried to update as fast as humanly (or Rena-ly) possible. Thanks for reading**


	12. Meet The Kids

**Chapter 12: Meet the Kids**

**A/n: I'm horrible. I know. I had midterms, tournies for volleyball, I was sick. It's a mess and I know I'm almost 24 hours over my 3am grace period. Forgive me.**

**Dedication: To Jeni, for making me laugh at insane hours of the night, to Kimiko, for her new love, and my beta, Tina, for yelling at me.**

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Yumi's POV

I see my name in hideous colors on a poster board in the hands of one very smug looking Keith. His black hair is longer than I remember, falling over his eyes a bit. Baggy blue jeans and trademarked white T-shirt are no surprise. His nearly-but-not-quite violet eyes sparkle. Oh Keith. What a shame I'm going to have to beat the life from your body. Next to him is a very exhausted looking Rika. Long brown hair pulled up in a messing bun, a pair of almost-too-tight, but, they're-my-favorite faded jeans and a tight red shirt revealing the bump on her used-to-be flat stomach. Her forest green eyes picked up a spark as they saw Ulrich and I leaving the gates.

"Yumi!" A running jump, and my carry-on was on the ground as Rika captured me in a bear hug. "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too, hun. Oh man, I missed you guys." I watched Keith pick up my bag. "You on the other hand," He opened his arms for a hug. I obliged and hugged him before stepping back to punch him in the shoulder. "I should kill you."

"Sorry, Yumi." He winced. I punched him again.

"It was a choice, not an accident. You should know that," he pointed out. Bad choice idiot. Oh god, did I miss these two.

"And you have to be Ulrich," Rika smiled brightly at Ulrich who seemed a little uncomfortable. She held out her hand.

"Nice to meet you," Ulrich smiled politely shaking her hand.

"Yumi. He's hot," was all that Rika said. Ulrich blushed.

"She's hormonal. She can't control her mouth." I gave Rika a one-armed hug.

"Could she ever?" That remark received a quick punch to the stomach. Poor Keith. I saw Ulrich try to smother a smile.

"Let's go. It's late and I want you to see the nursery. It's not done, but I'm still completely thrilled about it." Rika was bouncing with each step as we moved to baggage claim. Ulrich grabbed my hand, and we were lost in the crowd.

As we broke free from the mess of people, there was a shout and I knew what was coming. A sudden dive ripped me away from Ulrich and there was a scream. It could very well have been my own voice, but it happened too fast.

"Get off her!" Ulrich yelled. The body on top of mine laughed like a maniac.

"Hello Tristan," I sighed calmly. Why am I not surprised?

"Hello Yumi." Just as calmly, he stood up, pulling me to my feet. Ulrich was red faced and ready to kill someone.

"Is it customary to tackle each other hello?" he gritted through his teeth. Oh, this was going to be a fun introduction.

"Only when you haven't seen someone in a year." He looped his arms around my waist and dropped his head onto my shoulder. I think I saw Ulrich's hand twitch. Possibly his eye as well. I stepped back and took my first good look at Tristan. Those blue eyes are gonna kill me. Let me start with that. Faded jeans he probably has worn for three days, old tennis shoes, and a skin tight, black, long-sleeved shirt.

"So, what did I hear about you running away?"

"So, what did I hear about you coming to Japan? Oh wait. Nothing." We mirrored the other's annoyed expression.

"Truce for later?" He asked. Oh, same old Tristan. You annoying, irking, impatient-

"Yeah. Ok."

We grabbed our bags and headed for the cab waiting outside. Rika about slept on Keith the ride there and I was forced between Tristan and Ulrich, fearing for Tristan's life. Maybe Ulrich's, too. At this point it's a tie and for their own good.

Ulrich, of course, made it a point to lace his fingers with mine. That Y-chromosome is starting to take effect. I just hope they don't fight. Please, god, do not let them fight.

We pulled up to an apartment complex in upper Tokyo, not too far from the airport. It's unspoken, but we all know, save for Ulrich, that Keith is pretty well secure financially. In other words? His family's freaking rich. It's a nice complex, and the inside of the apartment is just about bigger than my house. It's beautiful.

"I'm gonna go. Yumi-hime, we need to have a chat in the morning. See you for breakfast?" Tristan asked.

"Noon it is!" He hugs me again and gets back in the cab as we walk inside.

Rika mood-swings her way to excited as she pulls me to the nursery. Also beautiful. So beautiful in fact, that I actually feel like crying in jealousy.

But I digress.

Ulrich walks in behind me and it would be a little awkward if I burst out in tears. All at once I feel the lull of sleep seeping into my body. I'm tired. So tired I can barely make it to the living room, where I plan on sleeping. Rika makes Keith go get the feather mattresses (to be explained later, when I'm not so exhausted) and some more blankets.

Rika apologizes a million and one times about making us sleep on the floor. Keith's already gone to bed, exhausted from the long wait at the airport.

"Rika? How many times have you slept on my floor?" I asked. She wrung her hands.

"A lot.. But-" The poor thing is hormonal. I'm telling you. I hug her.

"Go to bed, Rika-chan. We'll catch up in the morning."

"Oh, Yumi," Please don't cry. "Thank you for coming. I don't know what I would have done without you. We don't have a lot of support given the circumstances." Child out of wedlock at the age of fifteen. No support you say?

"I love you, Rika. Go. To. Bed." She leaves and smiles over her shoulder at me. I glance at the clock hanging on the wall. That had to be the first thing she hung up in the nearly empty apartment.

Ugh.. It's five-thirty in the morning.

I look at Ulrich and then back down at our make shift bed. Yes. Bed. As in singular. Oh, tonight is gonna be awkward. It could be worse, I assume, but it's still gonna be awkward.

If it was possible at all, Ulrich made it un-awkward with a tired smile. God, I love that smile.

"They're nice." … No they're not. They can be conniving and evil. I love them.

"I apologize for the scene." He dropped down onto the 'bed' and pats the spot next to him. With pleasure. I'm nearly asleep as I hit the mattress.

"I forgive you." Smug little- Oww I hate it when he kisses me and cuts off my mental insults. "Night, Yumi." Before I can protest, I'm asleep.

**_o0o0o0o Summer_**

Something moved on the mattress next to me. I opened one eye. Ulrich's still asleep. Aw he looks so cute. He better stay asleep, he's keeping me warm. That means..

Rika.

If I didn't love her, I'd pretend I was still asleep. It's not even noon yet.

Early morning conversations equal Japanese. I'll translate for you.

"Morning, hun," I whispered.

"I didn't mean to wake you up." She sounds upset.

"It's what I'm here for."

"I threw up," she said like a four-year-old.

"Mm, morning sickness, you're pregnant." Just incase you didn't know yet, hun.

"The world is against this baby." Oh boy. Here we go.

"It is not." I pulled myself from Ulrich's warmth to leech off of Rika's. "It is not, so don't even think that. You love this baby, Keith loves this baby, and I love this baby to bits and pieces. The world is not against it." I leaned down next to her stomach. "Baby? I love you. I'm going to spoil you to death, your mother will hate me." Rika laughed. Thank God for mood-swings.

"It's a girl, just so you know," she said with a smug little smile. Just what I wanted to hear!

"She's going to be spoiled." Her Aunt Yumi plans to send her lots of presents. I hugged her, dragging her closer.

"You're gonna be ok. How about we whip the guys up some breakfast?" Yes, the terrible duo. Cooking.

"Okay. I'll meet you in the kitchen. I'm going to go splash some water on my face." She's perky again.

I sunk away from Ulrich and into the new kitchen. Which is bigger than mine. And prettier, painted a light teal color with white everything. What to cook in such an amazing kitchen?

Pancakes!

Rika bounced into the kitchen, hair pulled back, looking rather fresh.

"Pancakes?" she asked.

"Yep." I tossed her a box of pancake mix. I miss making pancakes with Rika early in the morning.

"Let's talk about your boy." Uh oh, third degree time. "Is he nice?"

"Extremely."

"Do you love him?" She paused her stirring to look at me.

"Yes."

"I think I'm going to like him." She nodded to herself in approval and continued stirring the mix while I searched through the new cabinets (that still smell like wood) for a pan.

"Let's talk about this baby. Any names picked out?" Some history on us? We've had baby names picked out since we could talk.

"Maybe Mira." A small smile pulled at her lips. The baby most definitely would be a Mira. She was a Mira before she was conceived. She was a Mira before we were in sixth grade. Maybe even earlier.

"I love it." Aha! A pan! Our pancakes are world famous. We put everything in them. Today? Fresh strawberries. My favorite.

"Rika. Stop licking the batter."

"Stop eating the strawberries."

"Stop leaving them in front of me!"

"Trade?"

..Psh.

"Nah." Twenty minutes later there was a huge stack of pancakes set on Rika and Keith's temporary dinning room table, a large folding table.

"Wake them up or let them smell the food?" I asked. Rika picked a stray strawberry from the plate.

"Wake them up." She grabbed me by the arm with her free hand and pulled me towards the living room.

"You get yours up I'll get mine."

I love this part.

With a running, well, shuffling leap, I fell onto the feather mattress with a thud. Ulrich jolted awake.

"Morning, Yumes," he yawned. From down the hall we could hear Keith yelling something along the lines of 'Rika get the hell off, it's not noon yet.'.

"We made pancakes."

"Mm, Yum," he mumbled tiredly. I gave him a quick kiss and stripped away his blanket.

"Get up!"

**_o0o0o0o Summer_**

"Lying," Ulrich accused. Keith threw his arms up.

"She's telling the truth. Tristan dragged the mattresses into the backyard of Rika's parents' house and we slept outside."

"Get out! And it really rained on you guys?"

"We were drenched!" I almost choked on another strawberry.

"And you still have them?" Ulrich put down his fork and pushed his plate away.

"We spent the next afternoon with blow-dryers." Wait for it, wait…

"Guys do dishes!" Rika jumped up from the table. "The girls cooked, and now we have to go shopping for the baby." She kissed Keith's cheek. Oh, no. Shopping with Rika.

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**I'll do reviews later? I promise, I just HAD to get this chapter up. Thanks everyone, I love you.**


	13. Bathing In Roses

**Chapter 13: Bathing In Roses**

**A/n: I am so, so, so, so, very sorry. I deserve to be shot. There's just a lot of STUFF going on in my life right now. No one likes STUFF right? It's all very boring and long and complicated. My beta has been at wits end with me trying to get me to update. Last night I had insperation and WHALA! A chapter you have! I'm really sorry you guys, I feel horrid about making you wait soooo very long! **

**Dedication: To Jeni to making me feel needed and Tina for kicking me into gear. Again and again.**

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The afternoon was hot and muggy. Halfway across the world from her brother, Charlie Stern sat in the air conditioning with her turtle.

"Chare?" There was no knock as the door swung open.

"Hi, Odd." The sound of the door closing was her only warning before the feeling of a weight change on the bed as Odd hurdled himself next to Charlie and joined her in staring at her plain white ceiling. Charlie sighed.

"Miss your brother?" Odd asked.

"My parents don't want me." She left off the part about being desperately bored without her brother to entertain her insane ideas and humor her pointless conversations.

"We do. We're your family. There's a lot more of us, anyways." Charlie almost smiled. Odd was practically family. Anyone who walks into you kitchen at 7am, drinks your orange juice, and watches cartoons on your sofa before you're even out of bed, is family. And if Ulrich married Yumi, hey! That would make her family. Legally.

"I miss you guys when you're gone. A lot. You and Ulrich."

"Family!" Odd sung. "You'll always miss family." Charlie chuckled.

"Have you met Little Ulrich?" Odd took the small painted turtle off her chest.

"He's very handsome. Sorta lonely though. You should get him a Little Yumi." Charlie's small smile grew bigger as she started cracking up.

"Or! Or! A Little Sissi! My brother's love would kill me." Odd grinned at her.

"Maybe some fish, then. Can't have Yumi killing you."

"Yeah!"

"Purple fish."

"Oh my God! We need to buy purple fish!" she squealed, attention averted very quickly away from her boredom.

"Let's go right now," Odd pulled her away from Little Ulrich's tank after he put the small turtle back. Blinded by excitement, Charlie failed to notice Sam and Aelita slipping into her room as they left.

_**o0o0o0o Summer**_

"How was lunch with Tristan?" Yumi fell into Ulrich's waiting arms.

"I hate him. Sorry to leave you alone."

"I had a nice chat with Keith." She nodded and snuggled into his chest a little farther. "He showed me some pictures. You never told me you were a ballerina." Yumi tensed up.

"He... I can't believe... Traitor! Keith!" Ulrich kissed her temple.

"You looked adorable."

"I was in a tutu."

"A cute tutu."

"Pink frumpy tutu." Ulrich laughed.

"I like seeing you like this," he brushed a strand of hair from her eyes. "You laugh a lot around these two. You smile a lot."

"There's no Xana here. I'm happy that I don't have to worry saving the world. What do you think about it? One week as normal teens."

"It's nice. A little... jumpy. But I'm getting used to it."

"Something to brag about when we get back home."

"Oh I have a lot to brag about when we get home." Yumi laughed as they walked into the kitchen.

"So do- Drop that ice cream, Rika!" Rika turned innocently away from the freezer.

"I thought you were out to lunch with your monster." She licked the end of her spoon.

"Tristan isn't my problem anymore, Lovely. And I'm back now. What happened to not wanting to gain fifty pounds of baby weight?" Rika whined.

"But it's good!" Ulrich slid onto a stool next to the counter. Yumi held out her hand for the carton of cookies and cream. Rika handed it over reluctantly.

"Try peanut butter and celery." Yumi winked and put the ice cream back. "We're going to the rose gardens, do you want to come?" Rika shook her head.

"My feet hurt, you two go. Be all couple-y." She searched the cupboards for peanut butter.

"Ok. We'll be back for dinner." She dragged Ulrich away from the counter and didn't notice Rika get the cookies and cream back out.

_**o0o0o0o Summer**_

Yumi glanced at Ulrich as they turned the corner into the gardens. Red roses took over their senses. They lined both sides of the brick walkway, as far as they could see. Yumi smiled warmly, this was her favorite place to be in all of Japan. Ulrich didn't seem as happy to be there.

"What?" she finally asked. He jumped a little.

"Nothing."

"Liar," Yumi accused. Ulrich tugged on her hand.

"I was just… what did you mean? Tristan isn't your problem anymore?" Yumi groaned.

"It was a long time ago." Ulrich dreaded the answers to the questions he knew he was going to ask anyway.

"How long is long?"

"Before I came to France."

"Were you guys... serious?" Yumi sighed as they neared the fountain.

"Tristan and I were engaged." Ulrich paled.

"Engaged." He sounded the word out carefully as he said it.

"It's not what you think, Ulrich. It was arranged. Before I was even born."

"Are... you still?" Yumi laughed.

"No." Her boyfriend relaxed a little. "There was a family feud, annoying little fight, and the engagement was broken off. Out of rebellion we started dating... We were best friends since birth." Ulrich sat down on the edge of the fountain and Yumi sat on his lap.

"What happened?"

"I left, we broke up. My family was thrilled. His, too." She leaned back against him.

"I thought you said it was a long time ago?" Ulrich wrapped his arms around her.

"It was a whole other part of my life. It feel's like a very long time ago." She put her hands on top of his.

"Does he still... I mean..."

"He was the one person who walked in when the world left, but I love him like a brother. He's not bitter, neither am I. It was over the summer Dad got the job transfer." Ulrich nodded. Yumi smiled and kissed him.

"I'm glad he got the transfer," he muttered against her. She giggled.

"Me, too. It was the best thing that could ever happen." Ulrich felt himself losing his balance.

"Uh, Yumes, I'm-" Ulrich was cut off as he fell backwards into the fountain, dragging Yumi down with him. She screamed as they fell into the chilly water. Ulrich laughed as she tried to wipe her wet hair from her face. She pushed the floating roses away.

"You could have warned me!" Ulrich laughed harder. She splashed him

"I tried! Honestly!" She splashed him again. "Yumi!" He splashed her back.

"Normal teens fall in the rose garden fountains all the time. I'm sure." She nodded and tried to stand.

"Yumes, there's a..." Ulrich picked a rose off her head. Yumi got out of the fountain and pulled Ulrich behind her.

"We need to go change before someone-"

"Yumi? Ishiyama Yumi?" Yumi whirled around.

"Oh… Hi Mr. Kiniko." She laughed nervously.

"Does your father know you're gallivanting about with… with this boy?" he asked in Japanese.

"Oh, we're not gallivanting! We… it was an accident," she answered, flustered. Ulrich glanced at her, not sure what was being said. "We're gonna go get changed." She tugged Ulrich, before breaking out into a full out run.

"Who was that?" Ulrich asked.

"Old friend of my father's. Let's just hope he lost our number." She patted Ulrich's soaked shoulder.

"What did he say?" he asked. Yumi cleared her throat as they started out the south gates.

"Well, nothing really. Just hi. And asked me if Dad knew I was gallivanting." Ulrich turned red.

"He won't call your dad, will he?"

"Nope. Mr. Kiniko was my favorite. When we were probably six, he'd sneak Rika and me candy."

"Oh I see, sugar makes him your favorite." Yumi laughed and wrapped an arm around him.

"He won't rat us out. Besides, you're my favorite." The two walked, sopping wet, back to the apartment.

_**o0o0o0o Summer**_

Charlie's scream echoed through the dorm wing around five thirty in the evening. Odd stood in the door behind her, a smile plastered on his face. Charlie gawked at her room, mouth wide.

The room in front of her was not the room she had left. The plain walls were now a nice shade of lime green with silver swirls. The border was black with flecks of silver. Her closest doors were mirrors; her bedspread was black with silver and lime polka-dots. The shelves with all her little trinkets were black and silver, and there was a large lime star-shaped rug in the center of her room. Odd had kept Charlie out all day in search of fish for her turtle.

Aelita was sitting on her desk next to the window with paint stained hands and a pink bandana on her head. Sam was seated comfortably on Charlie's favorite beanbag which they had dug out of what Charlie had yet to unpack.

"This! This…! I! You guys!" She was jumping up and down. Odd walked over to the wall above Charlie's bed where Little Ulrich's tank and been built into a shelf. He added the exotic looking fish to it, along with a small turtle that was in a box resting against his hip.

"So you like it?" he asked. Charlie nodded.

"You guys did this for me? All this?" The room smelled freshly of paint. "It must have cost a ton! Why..." She continued to stare at the room.

"Surprise!" Aelita giggled.

"This was your brother's idea. All the paint and material was Sam's doing. The doors were on sale, and Aelita found all the little shelves."

"Paint was just lying around the attic. I needed a new art project," Sam shrugged. Aelita smiled as she swung her feet.

"I was bored." Charlie was almost crying.

"Twinny planned all this?" They nodded.

"But you can't sleep in here tonight, the paint fumes are still... fumy." Charlie searched her pockets for her cell phone and speed-dialed her brother.

_**o0o0o0o Summer**_

Ulrich let Yumi drag him up the front stairs of the building as his cell phone rang.

"It still works?" Yumi asked. Ulrich shrugged.

"I guess it didn't get wet." He pulled it out of his front pocket. "It's Charlie."

"Did they finish her room?" They stopped halfway up the stairs.

"Hello?"

"TWINNY! I love you! You! Are! Amazing!" Ulrich held the phone away from his ear.

"So you like it?"

"I LOVE IT!" Yumi smiled at Ulrich's excited expression.

"I'm glad." The phone crackled a little. "I've gotta go Chare, my phone's dying."

"Kay, I-" The phone fizzled and stopped working.

"My phone's inside. You can call her back later." Ulrich watched Yumi as they walked up the stairs.

"What's so funny?" She didn't turn around as she asked.

"We look ridiculous." Yumi opened the door.

"We fell into a fountain." They broke out laughing

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MOPITA ITA DE LA SOPITA: Lol, I probably should have thrown a dishes scene in there, but I spared those poor boys. thanks.**

**Goddess of Lam 2.0: Wow. Thanks a bunch. I don't think I've ever inspired writing before... lol. Thanks for reading, I'll keep an eye out for you stuff!**

**Top20fan13: thanks!!**

**TwinkieTUTUS: Thanks!**

**PrincessYumi44: Shhh! Stop ruining my plot! Lol, kidding. You were right though!**


	14. Asleep MidAir

**Chapter 14: Asleep Mid-Air**

**A/n: Well, here it is. Sorry about the delay but I had to get April Fool 3 up and running. Yes, it is posted if you didn't know and/or you've been living in a cave. It's up, it's done, and if I do say so myself, It's fab-u-lous.**

**Dedication: For Laura, for being an awesome Jeremie and saving my life, for Jeni, for plotting the ultimate holiday and promising us canon fluff, and to my beta, Tina, for yelling in my face and threatening my life down 3 generations. Also for Lyoko-Scipio-1114 for reading all of my stories, for real? No one ever took the time to do that in such a short period of time unless i begged. Thank you. ****Love you guys.**

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**S**unlight streamed into the dorm room a bit earlier than Charlie hoped to be up. She was asleep in her brother's bed while her room was drying; was, that is, until the sunlight annoyed her to consciousness. She eyed the alarm clock that lay in the center of the room. It blared ten A.M. in bright green letters. 

'_Today is day five,'_ she thought to herself, rolling over. _'That means…'_

"Odd!" She threw herself off the bed, and across the floor. Odd opened one eye. Charlie grinned.

"What, Chare?"

"We're going camping the day after tomorrow!" Odd shut his eyes again. "Oh man! I need to go shopping." Odd opened both eyes.

"Right now?"

"Yes! No! I want to go kidnap Aelita, then go shopping!"

"Why?"

"Hello? I need a new sleeping bag. And camo pants!" Odd rolled over and faced the wall.

"Then go. If you expect me to go with you, you're crazy." The girl stuck her tongue out at the boy and grabbed her bag.

"I'll be back later, I'm gonna go change and kidnap Lita. We'll do lunch, you can buy." She bounded out the door, shutting it loudly behind her.

**_o0o0o0o Summer_**

"Aelita!" Charlie sang outside the girl's dorm. Aelita smiled from her desk chair.

"Come in, Charlie." She shut her pink laptop and spun towards the door as Charlie skipped in.

"So, wanna show me the downtown so we can buy some awesome camping stuff?" She leaned against the doorframe. The younger girl lit up.

"Shopping?" Charlie nodded, dropping her bag to the floor and pulling out what she was wearing for the day.

"We need camo," she informed her as she yanked a red shirt over her white cami.

"Camo?" the younger girl questioned.

"Mmhm." She dropped a pair of black flip-flops onto the floor.

"Sure, I'll go." Charlie grinned at the answer as she rolled her shorts. Aelita retrieved her purse from her closet as Charlie slipped on her shoes.

**_o0o0o0o Summer_**

Yumi sat uncomfortable, shifting her weight repeatedly, waiting for the nurse to finish. As she left, Ulrich flexed his wrapped wrist.

"You didn't have to hit him, you know." Ulrich stood up.

"I didn't have to hit him? You're lucky I didn't hit you!" he yelled. Yumi stood up after him.

"You should have!" Ulrich walked out the door and she followed quickly.

"I don't want to talk to you."

"You didn't let me explain!"

"You were sitting on your ex-boyfriend's lap!"

"You make it sound worse than it is!"

"Worse is what I could have done to him."

"You nearly broke his nose!"

"Only nearly?"

"It was my fault, not Tristan's. If you would have listened before you went off into a rage, you would have known I was explaining what happened at the fountain."

"On his lap?" Ulrich scoffed.

"I would have used Keith, but Rika had already claimed him."

"You're so innocent."

"In this case!" They saw Keith and Rika in the waiting room, Rika was crying.

"Hey!" Yumi rushed to hug her.

"Is he ok?" She sniffled.

"It's a sprain, he's ok."

"Yumi?" Ulrich sighed; she turned around. "I'll see you at the airport. I need to go... Cool down or something." Yumi stopped herself before she could argue.

"I love you, Ulrich."

"I love you, too... I just... Let me think this through." He hurried out the door.

"Yumes? Are you ok?" Keith asked. Yumi let go of Rika.

"You know me... I'll be fine as soon as you get me out of this hospital." She wiped at a stray tear. "I'm really sorry for the scene." Keith shrugged, holding the door open for the girls.

"There's always a scene. You know how our friends are. Your boyfriend fits right in." The younger girl nodded.

**_o0o0o0o Summer_**

Ulrich took out his cell and dialed his roommate.

"Hello?" the blonde yawned.

"Sorry, Odd. I know it's barely noon. I punched out Tristan."

"Woot!" Odd cheered.

"It's not funny, Odd! I got into the apartment last night and Yumi was sitting on his… Odd I almost hit _her_." There was silence on the other end. "I hit him because I knew he'd forgive me, not that I care, but if I hit her, I swear I'd never forgive myself."

"Where are you?" the blonde asked.

"Wondering around Tokyo Park."

"Go talk to Yumi?"

"We're meeting back at the airport."

"Why was she sitting on him, anyways?"

"It was innocent, but I walked in at the wrong moment and freaked. He raised his arm at the last second and spared his face."

"Did this Tristan guy get it good?"

"I almost broke my wrist almost breaking his nose."

"Yeah, he'd understand if he knew." Ulrich sighed, knowing Odd was right.

"Thanks, Odd. We'll be home around nine your time."

"Don't get off that plane mad, bud. Chare is rip-roaring to go camping and everyone's in a good mood, happy to see you guys, ya know?"

"We'll see. Bye, Odd."

"Later, man." Ulrich sat down on the edge of a fountain, cradling his arm against his chest. He hung up and stared down into the water, sighing as watched the rose petals float.

**_o0o0o0o Summer_**

Yumi set Ulrich's bag down next to hers at the gate.

"Thanks for having us, again." She hugged them both tightly.

"You'll come over right? When we've had the baby?"

"Of course!" Rika kissed her cheek and Keith gave her arm a squeeze.

"See ya."

"See ya." Yumi lifted the bags.

"I go it, Yumes." Ulrich took his bag from her. She smiled weakly.

"Thank you for having us." He gave the couple a stiff bow. "I'm sorry about-"

"No, no! Really. We miss the drama." Rika grinned and Yumi blushed.

"Rika!"

"We'll call. You'd better, too." Keith wrapped his arms around Rika.

"We will," Yumi promised. They waved and boarded the plane. Ulrich avoided her eyes like the plague as they found their seats. The plane was dark, and it was easier than if it had been morning. Yumi gulped back the tears that were sure to come as Ulrich pushed himself closer to the isle. She gripped the arm rests as the plane took off, silently praying it wouldn't fall out of the sky before Ulrich smiled again. Really, that's all she asked this time.

"I'm sure he understands," Ulrich finally said as they reached final altitude. Yumi glanced at him. "If you're as close as your friends said, I'm sure he understands." Yumi wrapped her arms around herself.

"I'm sure he does." Ulrich looked past her and out the window into the dark clouds.

"I'm sorry." The girl almost laughed.

"Ulrich, you are not sorry. No matter what, you fought, and you're not sorry about hitting him." Ulrich shook his head.

"I'm sorry about making you sit in that hospital." He grabbed her hand, lacing his fingers with hers. Yumi leaned back against him.

"I didn't know you'd be so upset. I was explaining about the fountain, I wouldn't lie. I don't love Tristan the way I love you. I love him like I love Keith. Or Jeremie. I've just known him longer."

"You dated."

"A long time ago."

"I'm not sorry I hit him."

"I'm not sorry you hit him, either." Ulrich breathed in, smelling her shampoo, or rather, Rika's shampoo... Which smelled exactly the same; lavender and chamomile. "Did you sort it out?"

"Not all the way. I don't understand why I got so angry." Yumi yawned, thankful to have his arms around her again.

"Are you still mad at me?"

"Maybe a little," he teased quietly. For the first time in her life, Yumi was able to fall asleep on an airplane. Ulrich kissed the top of her head.

"I was such an idiot, Yumes."

**_o0o0o0o Summer_**

As the plane landed, Yumi was jarred awake, immediately aware that she was on the ground. She sent up, giving silent thanks as she let her shoulders relax again. Another flight survived.

"Thank you for flying Air France!" Yumi grabbed her carry-on and mad a mad dash for the gates, dragging Ulrich behind her.

"Yumi!" There was a loud squeal and she was attacked by a very peppy blonde; no one but Kia.

"I'm starting to notice a trend," Ulrich smiled smugly. Yumi stuck her tongue out at him. Odd gave him a thumbs up, and Ulrich nodded, silently letting him know the fight had been dealt with. Aelita was waiting behind with Jeremie.

"Hey guys! We missed you!"

"Late!!" Someone wailed before running through the group. "TWINNY!" Ulrich was then jumped on, nearly dragged to the ground.

"Hey, Chare. I missed you, too," Ulrich said calmly. Yumi smiled at the pair.

"How was your trip?" Ulrich shrugged.

"It was good. Yumi's friends are nice." She nodded excitedly.

"Did you take pictures?"

"Of course!" Yumi waved a camera over her head. The gang headed out of the airport.

"Yumi! You'll never believe it! There's this new kid right? A really hot new kid! He's dorming!" Kia rambled. Yumi rolled her eyes.

"Twinny? What happened to your wrist?" Charlie blinked at her brother's wrapped arm.

"I fell," he lied. "Tricky stairs." She laughed at him.

"Yumi? Are you listening to me? I said he's got blonde hair and blue eyes and plays soccer! Yumi?"

"I'm listening, Kia."

* * *

**YOU ALMOST SHOT THE UPS GUY: Thanks for the review, that line is claimed by my beta, not me. Brilliant right? **

**Top20Fan13: For some reason, I had the same thought about the ice cream. Thanks!**

**Gregory Hell: Thanks for the reivew.**

**TwinkieTUTUS: Tristan will always cause trouble, just for future refrence. Thanks for the awesome reivew!**

**Lyoko-Scipio-1114: Thank you for all your reviews and support. Hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoy your reviews.**

**PrincessYumi44: .. I love you. Your reivews always make me laugh until I cry. Thanks for sticking with me.**

**No Name: Aww! I wish you had an account so you had a name so I could be like HEY! THIS PERSON? But instead I have to reply to you as 'no name'. Hope you'll continue to read!**


	15. Camo and Ice Cream

**Chapter 15: Camo and Ice Cream**

**A/n: Well.. here it is; my extremly short filler chapter. Don't we all just love filler chapters? Of course we do. Sorry I'm so slow.**

**Dedication: To my beta, my Jeni, my Kat, and to the friends and families of VT. Our hearts, thoughts, and prayers are with you all. God bless.**

* * *

**Ul**rich walked into his dorm and collapsed on his bed. Japan was fun for the most part; home was better any day of the week. After dropping Yumi off at her house, the gang had gone back to the school to finish their packing for the camping trip the following day. Ulrich regretted planning it so soon after their return.

"Ulrich!" Charlie sung sticking her head in the door. Ulrich yawned. "Don't you want to see my new favorite camouflage?"

"Sure." The girl squealed, pushing up the door. She was dressed in baggy camo pants and a white wife beater over another camo wife beater. She had tied a lime green camouflage bandana up in her hair to finish it off. Bare-footed, she slid into the room.

"Like?" She twirled for him.

"Nice."

"Aelita has matching," she informed him. Ulrich sat up.

"Cute Charlie." The girl rocked on her heels. "...What?"

"I dumped William while you were gone."

"You did? Really? I mean… oh, that's to bad. Why?" He tried to hide how pleased he was.

"I saw him kissing some blonde chick after one of my gymnastic competitions." Ulrich's eye twitched.

"I'll murder him. That-"

"Already taken care of," Charlie giggled. Her brother gave her a questioning look.

"By who?"

"Don't you think your sister can take care of herself?"

"Did you put him in the hospital?"

"No... but he may never be able to have children." She grinned and made a heart with her hands, peaking through it at her brother. Ulrich lay back down. "And it's no big deal. I like someone else now." She waved off his reaction.

"Who?"

"Uhm, I think his name is Theo."

_**o0o0o0o summer**_

Yumi unpacked her suitcase and started packing her smaller duffle. She tossed the dirty clothes in one pile on the floor and threw anything clean on her bed to be sorted and dealt with later.

"Yumi, are you going to be gone the _whole _summer?" Hiroki swung his legs as he sat on the edge of her desk. His older sister smirked.

"Why? Do you miss me?" she teased. The small boy blushed and looked at the floor.

"You promised me we'd go ice skating at the rink, remember?" he mumbled. Yumi immediately felt guilty.

"I'm going to be gone for another two days. We'll go skating as soon as I'm back. How's that sound?"

"Oh... Could I go camping with you guys?"

"I'd take you, but I doubt that Mom and Dad would go for it." It was the truth. It had taken hours of begging to get them to let her go. Yumi tossed her duffle in the corner, all set for the next day. "How about today we head over to the park?" Hiroki's face lit up.

"Really?" Yumi nodded.

"You've been deprived of the torture it is to be seen with your big sister for a few weeks now."

"Are you going to embarrass me?"

"What? Can't we bond?" Hiroki jumped on her back and the duo giggled all the way down the stairs.

_**o0o0o0o summer**_

Aelita was excited. In actuality, that was an understatement. Aelita was _ecstatic. _She quickly was becoming fond of Charlie, and their shopping trip only proved that she was a good choice for a friend. The upbeat girl had picked out a number of outfits for the trip for Aelita and herself, along with new sleeping bags. As far as Aelita could remember, it was her first sleeping bag, but Charlie didn't have to know that.

The pink bag Aelita had picked out had earned much protest from the older girl. The compromise was a dark violet and silver stripped bag that, and despite more protest anyways, Aelita was very pleased with. It was tied up and set neatly in a pile with her new camping clothes on her bed. She debated what else she should take as she danced around her room in excitement.

Jeremie was sitting in her desk chair; there was no grin on his face.

"Maybe you should pack those snow pants Odd bought you last winter," he suggested. Aelita stop dancing and glanced at him.

"It's summer, Jer."

"There could be a blizzard."

"In the summer?"

"Stranger things have happened." Aelita glanced between him and the closet.

"That's ok, Jer. I think I'll be just fine without the snow pants. Maybe a sweatshirt incase it gets cool at night." Jeremie sighed in defeat. "Don't you want to go camping?"

"There's no internet, no bathrooms, no modern conveniences. I'm not exactly excited."

"I've never been camping before." Aelita bat her emerald green eyes at the blonde boy.

"Well, I'm very well not going to just let you go off into the woods alone with only Yumi to protect you from Odd, Charlie and Ulrich." Aelita giggled.

"I'm sure Yumi could handle me."

"I'm not sure if I can." He grinned at her. "You're really looking forward to this aren't you?" She spun back to him with a pink and white sweatshirt draped over her arms.

"Very." She practically bounced over the pink duffle sitting on her bed. "Are you all packed?"

"Yes. I packed yesterday so I could finish some last minute adjustments on the super-scan before we left."

"I think it will be fine for one night. You're not taking your laptop are you?"

"…"

"Jeremie! We're suppose to be having fun."

"What if there's an attack?" He squirmed under her pleading eyes.

"One day? Please? For me?"

"Emergency only. I swear." Aelita seemed to be weighing the answer.

"Ok. Fine." She finished her packing as she added one more tank top to the duffle. "Emergency only. Let's go for a walk." She took his hand and led him out of the dorm.

_**o0o0o0o summer**_

It felt good; having his fingers laced with hers. It was something solid they couldn't have before, on separate sides of a computer screen. They had walked out of the woods straight into the open park.

"Do you hear…?" Aelita glanced around her. There was another shrill laughter.

"Yes." They neared the play-set.

"Lita!" There was a blur of a small boy before he launched himself into her arms. Jeremie stumbled back a bit. "Yumi's it!" he panted. The older girl came around the corner of the slide.

"It?"

"Run! She's it! She's it!" Yumi laughed as he dropped onto the ground and took off again.

"We're playing tag," she informed the couple. Jeremie moved back to Aelita's side, wrapping an arm loosely around her waist.

"Sounds fun." Aelita watched Hiroki duck behind a crawling tube.

"I forfeit!" Yumi yelled.

"You give up? Really? I win! I win!" Hiroki's face lit up as he stood.

"You win." He came back, hugging her around the knees.

"Can we get an ice cream?"

"Sure, why don't you go swing? We'll go in five."

"Ok! Are Aelita and Jeremie coming?"

"If they want."

"Cool!" He headed for the bright blue swing set.

"He's a sweet kid, Yumi," Jeremie smiled.

"Not really. Today maybe a little."

"Oh Yumi, you know he is," Aelita nudged her.

"Yeah, yeah," she laughed, nudging her back. "Ready for tomorrow?"

"Yes! I'm so excited. I've never been camping before!"

"You'll have fun. Which grounds are we going to?"

"South Paris," Jeremie answered.

"Sounds great. Uhm... Have either of you talked to Ulrich?" A childish 'OOOW!' came from the swings.

"Briefly." Jeremie nodded. "He isn't angry with you, you know." Yumi's eyes were downcast.

"I really hope."

"He really loves you," Aelita assured her. "Now, what do you say we go get those ice creams?" The mood changed in those two simple words: Ice cream.

Yumi smiled. "Great idea."

* * *

**Japanese-Fanatic- They can't just fight. They have to make up. Lol, thanks for the review.**

**melcho- thank you!**

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**TwinkieTUTUS- Now, I love your reviews. But if you keep spoiling my plots I'm going to have to change my storyboard. Lol, I'm kidding; love your reviews. Thanks**

**Yumi-Ulrich4ever-... Uhm, do I know you? LOL! Just kidding doll. Thank you thank you thank you for all your reviews and such. I bet you're sitting there in your pjs reading this right? It's like 6 in the morning and you're like 'must read!' thanks!**

**Gregoryhell- Thank you!**

**Flames Chaos and Wolf- Ulrich hides his face in shame, lol. thanks.**

**Dr. Agent Kaleigh Booth- first off, slammin' penname. Second, we all love Charlie very much, thanks for noticing her character. Thanks for the review.**

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	16. Of Camping and Canada

**Chapter Sixteen: Of Camping and Canada**

**Author Note: I do not own Canada, I do not own Code Lyoko, I don't own anything. This is for Tina and Jeni. I'm so sorry for the delay, this took so much thought, so much work. I thought I was gonna die. XD Thanks for dealing with me guys!**

* * *

"**A**nd you'll stay out of trouble, Yumi?"

"Why are you even here?" Yumi slung her bag over her shoulder. Tyler smiled and took her sleeping bag.

"I'm driving."

"Mom's driving."

"I offered, she's sleeping in." Yumi rolled her eyes. "And just what happened to your boyfriend? Playing hero again?"

"Not exactly." She averted away from his eyes. "Are we taking Dad's car?"

"You all won't fit in mine."

"Don't forget, we're picking up Sam." Aelita stuck her head in the door.

"Good morning! Anybody up yet?"

"Yep. Ready to go?" The pinknett stepped in, ready in camo; the others followed.

"Aw, Yumi, your friends are cute," Tyler cooed. Aelita, Charlie and Odd smiled brightly at him; Ulrich and Jeremie rolled their eyes.

"Adorable. I know." She wrapped her free arm around Ulrich's neck. "Hi." She gave him a quick kiss.

"You didn't miss him that much," Tyler teased. "Go get in the car."

"Shotgun!" Charlie jumped in the front seat, pushing her sunglasses up on her face. "I don't feel like sitting with you losers." The others piled into the back without argument. Aelita, Jeremie, and Odd took the far back and Ulrich and Yumi took the middle, leaving space for Sam when they picked her up.

"Alright," Tyler started the car. "No humming, singing, cursing, or kissing. Hands and feet inside the ride at all times, and to yourself, if you please." Yumi rolled her eyes.

"Drive, Ty."

"But wait, I have to repeat it in Spanish!" Yumi kicked the back of his seat. Aelita blinked in confusion.

"Why would he repeat it in Spanish?" she whispered. Jeremie shook his head.

"We obviously need to take you to Disney," Odd snickered. Yumi turned around to look at the group.

"One adventure at a time."

**_o0o0o0o0o summer_**

By the time they had picked up Sam and were ten minutes into the twenty-five minute car ride, Yumi was already ready to throw herself out the side door. The only things sitting in her way were Ulrich and Sam on either side of her. She shrunk down in her seat and put her feet up on the middle console.

"Tyler, if you tell one more story, I will hide your body so deep in the woods that no one will ever find you," she growled. Ulrich wrapped an arm around her shoulders as he attempted not to laugh. "Why is that story so funny anyway? I was little. Little girls can be ballerinas." Sam shook her head.

"Yumi, you just don't look like a ballerina."

"I didn't know ex-ballerinas walked around in tutus," Yumi shot back, leaning into Ulrich a little. He kissed her temple.

"I've heard the story and seen the pictures, Yumes. You were adorable." Yumi let a growl escape her throat. Aelita smiled at her friends and then went back to looking out of her window. She had never been this far into France; she had never been this far ever.

"Alright, Kiddies. I'll be here to pick you up around noon, depending on my night. No later than six tomorrow night, though." Tyler smiled into the rearview mirror as he pulled into the camp grounds.

"I'll whip them all into shape bright and early." Charlie winked at him. Ulrich rolled his eyes.

"Stop hitting on Yumi's cousin." The girl giggled.

"You ruin all my fun."

"What about Theo?" Yumi locked eyes with her boyfriend

'Theo?' she mouthed.

"We're not dating yet." The older girls rolled their eyes. Sam opened the car door and grabbed her duffle from the floor boards that Odd had packed for her.

"Let's go. I want to get this over with." The others piled out after her. Aelita was the last one out, wide-eyed and taking in every last detail of the grounds around her.

Kia stopped mid-step to stare at the boy walking in front of her. Ethan. His name was Ethan, and he was going out for Kadic's soccer team. She had overheard him discussing it with Jim as she was leaving Bridget's dorm. He was blonde, tan, and in Kia's opinion, the greatest thing to ever walk the earth.

**_o0o0o0o0o summer_**

Erin waved a hand in her face.

"Kia? You were half sentence, dear." Kia blinked.

"Oh, right. Yumi. She showed a lot of control at the camp and she knows the court better than I do. Her judgment on the ball you know?" Erin nodded.

"I know! I was talking about the same thing with Dori. Is she going to play normal season with the Angels? Coach loved her at boot camp."

"I'm not sure if she wants to. I haven't been able to talk to her."

"Did she call you when she got back from Japan?" Kia tore her eyes away from Ethan.

"Yeah, quickly. She had to steal away for a few seconds while she was at the park with her brother. She'll be home tomorrow; her boyfriend and some of her friends took her camping today." Erin took out her cell phone.

"You just left from Bridget's dorm right?" Kia nodded. "I'm gonna call a quick meeting in the court yard. We need to talk about how we're going to convince her to play."

"Ok. You call Bridget and I'll call Dori, and they can call Molli and Jamie."

**_o0o0o0o0o summer_**

The camping trip had really done nothing for her, Yumi decided as she stared at the tent the boys were setting up. It was a large tent, plenty big enough for four people. In their terms, that meant it was big enough to shove in seven.

Ulrich had seemed uncomfortable since they arrived, and she hadn't been able to get him alone yet. Finally the tent was up and Charlie made a running jump to be the first one in with her sleeping bag, claiming her spot right out of the middle. Ulrich rolled his eyes and smiled at his twin.

"Hey, Ulrich?" Yumi stood up from the log she was sitting on to join him. "Can we go for a walk?" The brunette nodded, allowing her to take his hand. Charlie waved insanely.

"Later Twinny! And Twinny's love!"

"What's wrong?" Ulrich asked as they left the clearing into the trees.

"I was going to ask you the same thing." He looked confused. "You're trying way too hard. You never have to try."

"I'm sorry. I guess I'm still a little sore over the whole situation with Tristan." He tried not to make it seem like a big deal.

"Ulrich, I swear I was-"

"Not that, Yumes. It's the fact that he's still in love with you. It bothers me. He's more competition than William, that's for sure."

"But I love you, doesn't that matter?" She felt her breath catch in her throat.

"Of course it does. I just..." He couldn't place the words. Yumi's chest shook in fear. This was the worst case scenario she had run over in her mind. The reaction was one she hadn't planned. She felt a tear slip down her face. "Yumi, don't cry." He wrapped his arms around her and she tried to push away from him. Yumi Ishiyama did not cry over stupid situations. Or any situations. Yumi Ishiyama did not cry!

"I hate you," she whispered. _'For making me feel so vulnerable,'_ she added mentally.

"That's okay. As long as you forgive me." He rocked her as she cried.

"I don't want to lose you, Ulrich," she hiccupped. He smiled.

"You won't. We can't be afraid of confronting each other though, understand?" Yumi tried to straighten herself up and regain her composure. Ulrich pulled her back to him, crushing her lips with his. He freed his hands and wiped away the tears falling from her cheeks. She pressed back, body flush with his, hands tangling in his thick hair. His hands fell back to her bare waist; he picked her up off the ground and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he backed her into a tree. Yumi had not expected this. Though, she wasn't complaining. When they came up for air Yumi's eyes still shined with tears. He eased her back onto her feet and she buried her face into his chest.

"What was that for?" she murmured.

"I'm sorry. This is all new for me… being with you is so important to me I don't want to screw up."

"I love you."

"I love you, too. Ready to walk back?" Yumi laughed at herself and wiped her eyes.

"Yeah. The others will come looking for us." They walked back in a more comfortable silence than the one they had started in. Yumi wiped the tear marks from her cheeks and hoped her eyes weren't red from crying. Crying. That felt like such a betraying word.

**_o0o0o0o0o summer_**

"Get that out of your systems?" Sam asked slyly, with a side of sarcasm from a log she was sitting on near the fire pit.

"Yes. We did." Yumi's blunt answer made Jeremie shank his head. "Are we cooking lunch, or what?" Odd grinned.

"How do spaghetti O's from a can sound?"

**_o0o0o0o0o summer_**

Kia and Jamie sat at the top of the small half-circle as Molli finally showed.

"I was in the shower." She flipped dark, wet locks over her shoulder, spraying the co-captains.

"A likely story," Jamie teased, wiping the droplets from her cheek. She was dressed in a white "2007 Junior Angels' Camp" shirt. "Coach" was printed on the back; underneath was signed by all the Junior Angels that played on her camp team and a pair of black shorts. The rest were dressed in various Kadic Volleyball shirts all marked with different years, save for Bridget sporting a red "02 Flames" top. Her "traitor top," as Kia so fondly called it. They all looked ready to jump on the court year round.

"So, what's our plan?" Dori asked.

"Beg?" Kia offered.

"Plead and grovel," Molli snickered.

"She'll pass up the second string returning at tryouts, and anyone with less than four seasons. For all we know, next year you could be looking at a new captain," Jamie pointed out. Kia rolled onto her stomach.

"We could really use her hitting. 'Specially against Lincoln." All the girls faked a growl at their rival's name. It was very much practiced, and very comical.

"Her hits have great tail spin," Jamie agreed.

"So it's settled?" Kia asked. Everyone nodded. "Even if she passes the first string?" There was a slight pause.

"We're a team," Erin spoke up strongly. "Doesn't matter what string any of us are on. We practice as a team, we play as a team, we win, and we lose as a team."

"Right!" Dori cheered.

"Now, to beg and plead," Kia smiled.

"We should offer her the providence of Quebec!" Molli yelled, throwing her arms in the air and smiling widely. The rest of the Angels stared at her.

"Molli, no one wants Quebec. You've never even been to Canada!" Kia sighed.

"And what did we tell you about offering people land you don't own?" Jamie asked. Erin face-palmed as Molli dropped her arms to her sides, pouting.

"We should just spare Yumi from having to deal with us," she said. Bridget hugged her.

"You love us."

The Angels didn't see the lights of the school flicker.

* * *

lyoko-scipio-1114: Thank you!

Gregoryhell: Thanks for reading!

Japanese-Fanatic: Fighting all done! I'm excited about that. That's for sure.

melcho: Sorry I take so long

Luara:... You know I adore you for dealing with my OMG TOMORROW! FOR SURE!

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top20fan13: Lol! I love fillers! Thanks

The snap guard is missing: Thank you!

TwinkieTUTUS: Lol, it's really ok. I'm glad that people are actually involved with the plot!

Flames Chaos and Wolf: Oh.. maybe a little. Thanks

PrincessYumi44: Glad for the bandage ditch! Love you times a million for sticking with me. Thanks again!!


	17. Angel's Breath

**Chapter 17: Angel's Breath**

**Author Note: Well, Summer's here! Don't let it runaway to fast. Thanks for your support guys.**

* * *

**T**he sound of three balls being smacked off arms mixing with the continuous cheering of the six Angels filled the otherwise empty gym. The ceiling fans were on and the outside doors open, circulating air through the humid space. Kia and Jamie were closest to the doors - Kia in a hot pink t-shirt with 'Angels 03' written on the front and Jamie in a black tank-top with 'Boot Camp 05' on the front and 'Survival' on the back. Jamie set the ball to herself and caught it.

"Line it up?" She glanced at her co-captain.

"Yeah. Guys, let's do some hitting." Kia tugged on the bottom of the net. Jamie and Erin raced to the setters spot.

"First!" Erin danced in place. Molli, Dori, and Bridget joined Kia in the hitting line. The lights flickered overhead. Kia stopped mid-toss.

"What the…?" The lights stopped flickering. "…. 'Kay…" With a flick of the wrist the ball was lobbed over to Erin. Erin set it back with ease; Kia approached and swung, hitting the ball into the floorboards on the other side. She quickly scurried under the net to retrieve it and Erin stepped back for Jamie to set the next ball.

"Don't go under the net!" Bridget barked at Kia playfully. The girl snickered and before she reached her ball, the outside doors closed with a bang. Kia scooped up her ball and spun on her heel.

"Wasn't me!" Molli's eyes searched for the cause of the door as she caught the incoming ball from the blonde.

"What is going on today?" she mused out loud. Dori retrieved her ball, making it a point to go around the net.

"Not sure! I'll get the doors, though." She tossed her ball to Kia and skipped to the doors.

"Back-row players do not skip!" Molli yelled teasingly. Dori made a face over her shoulder. Bridget's hit could be heard hitting the opposite wall.

"Save it for Lincoln!" Erin yelled. The Angels growled and laughed.

"It won't open!" Dori announced. There were three smacks followed by Dori diving onto her kneepads as three balls hit the double doors. "Guys!" she whined. The other girls snickered. "No! Really!" Bridget walked over and helped her up.

"Kadic's own Dori? Beaten by a door?" She bumped the door with her hip. It didn't open. "Hey! Stupid doors!" She leaned all her weight against it. "Guys, it's really stuck." Jamie rested her hands on her hips.

"We'll just open the inside doors. Reset the hitting drill." The girls lined back up with Erin setting. Jamie jogged to the inside doors. She pushed the bar and the door held. It wouldn't open. "Uhm... Kia? Since when do the doors lock from the inside?" she asked.

"Since never?" Kia approached and hit a ball into the court.

"It won't open!" Jamie took a step back and kicked the door. It didn't open. The drill stopped as the team watched one of their captains attempt to kick down a door reinforced with steel. Needless to say it wasn't working. Erin grabbed her water bottle from the bleachers. She glared at the ceiling as she sat. The massive fans had chosen that exact moment to kick off.

"That's lovely," Bridget looked up. "As if it wasn't hot enough in here."

"Well, I'm in here. My hotness probably isn't keeping the temperature very low, right?" Kia struck a pose, earning a round of groans from the Angels. Erin rolled her eyes.

"Call Whitney, Jamie." She tossed the girl her cell phone.

"E, you know we don't get service in here." Jamie stopped kicking the door. The other Angels were now sitting on the bleachers with Erin.

"Text him?" Dori offered. Jamie leaned against the table where all their volleyball bags had been flung.

"Whitney. Locked. In. Gym. Help! Love, Jam." The Angels snickered at her. "What? What was I suppose to say?" Jamie joined the others, snatching an extra water bottle from Kia's feet.

"I'm sure he'll get us out of here. Big, tough Whit." Bridget giggled at the girl. Dori shifted her water bottle against her head.

"Guys, not to ruin the Whitney-bashing, but does anyone have any Motrin?" She ran the water bottle to her neck. "My head is pounding." Molli gave her a worried look.

"Yeah, Sweetie. I always have a bottle." She let herself up, stumbling a little as she moved to get her bag. "Catch." Unzipping the blue bag and tossed the bottle up. Erin reached for it and missed, landing in her lap.

"What is this team of oafs today?" She fumbled with the lid for a minute before handing one to Dori. She smiled at the setter.

"I am not an oaf." She popped the pill. There was a banging from the outside of the door.

"Whitney!" they cheered.

_**o0o0o0o0o Summer**_

Yumi raced into the door of the house, two sets of skates bouncing off her shoulder.

"And did you see my spin? It was awesome wasn't it?!" Hiroki ran in behind her; his cheeks were tinted a bit pink from the cold rink. He bounced on his feet to reach his sister's height.

"Yes, I did. You did great." She smiled at his enthusiasm of the half-stumble, half-luck spin.

"Can we go again soon?"

"Sure. Go tell Mom we're home, I'll stick the skates in the closet." Her phone went off in her back pocket.

"Ok! Thanks Yumi!" He took off into the kitchen. She smiled to herself.

"Hello? Hi Jer…. Now? As in right now? Yes. Yes. I'm on my way." She dropped her skates on the floor on her way back out the door. The phone rang again as she hit the end of the driveway. She growled, steps falling uneven. "Speak fast, I don't like to run and talk."

"Yumi? It's Ulrich. I have bad new."

"No news is the only good news with Xana attacks."

"Your team is trapped in the gym." Her steps fell even more uneven as she rounded the corner, and she failed to point out that they weren't her team.

"They're trapped in the gym? Are they okay?" She panted as she picked up the speed. She really hated running in jeans.

"Whitney just dropped by to ask if you were practicing with them. They're fine as far as we know, just trapped."

"Whitney? Jamie's Whitney? I was going to, but I had other things planned. I'm on my way to the gym-"

"No! Head to the factory, we're working on opening the gym up. They need you on Lyoko."

"What? But, the girls!"

"We've got them! Go." The line went dead.

"You!" She screamed into the phone, frustration apparent. She eased up her pace and pocketed the phone. "This is ridiculous. I should be at the gym." She crossed the bridge and with more effort that she needed pushed forward against the ropes and slid to the ground. Finally in the elevator, she called Jeremie again.

"On my way to the scanners, Jer."

_**o0o0o0o0o Summer**_

Dori was lying on the bleachers, head on Molli's lap, feet up on Bridget's.

"Heat exhaustion?" Erin asked rubbing her eyes. Dori shook her head.

"Had it a million times; this is different. I feel less prickly; more icky." She closed her eyes.

"Hey! No sleeping! Isn't there a rule with that?" Kia demanded. Jamie was sitting at the top of the bleachers, leaning against the wall, with a wet paper towel pressed to her forehead.

"I'm pretty sure that's for hypothermia. Whatever Dori's got, I'm sure it's contagious. I think I've got her same symptoms, and it's not heat exhaustion; I'm not even that hot."

"So basically, we've all got it," Kia said dryly.

"Teams share." Bridget joked. Dori's eyes drooped.

"Guys, I really don't feel well." Molli looked to her captains. Kia looked to Jamie before deciding to take charge.

"Whitney? Ulrich? You need to hurry! Dori's sick in here! Jamie, too!" Jamie waved her off.

"I'm fine, really." Dori raised a hand.

"I'm not"

"We're hurrying!" came the reply.

_**o0o0o0o0o Summer**_

"Odd! Your left!" Odd turned on his heel and fired on the incoming hornets. From the main plateau of the Forest Sector, Yumi gave a relived sigh. "Come on, Lita. We need to book it if we're going to get this tower down." The younger girl nodded and picked up speed.

"Yumi?" Jeremie's voice came over the sector.

"How are the Angels?" She didn't miss a beat.

"Ulrich just called in. Still trapped and some of the girls are sick. Two of them, I believe he said."

"Who?" Jeremie could be heard typing.

"Uhm… Dori. Listen, I think I've found the cause. I accessed the school's mainframe and pulled up the blue prints; the science labs are connected to the language building's and the gym's ventilation systems. There's a tank of carbon monoxide and I think Xana turned it on the gym thinking-"

"Thinking I was practicing," Yumi finished him off. "Dori's the smallest. High doses of carbon monoxide would affect her first. Who else did you say was sick?"

"I don't remember, Ulrich had to go; he said something about Whitney going off on a tangent."

"Jamie. We're almost at the tower now; call Ulrich and tell him those girls have to stay awake!"

"On it, now." Jeremie clicked off the communication and switched over to his phone.

The other Angels had started to feel the effects of the carbon monoxide. Erin was doing her best to not lose the contents of her stomach, Kia had put a cold paper towel over her face, and Bridget was leaning against the rail, nearly asleep. Molli still had Dori's head on her lap, attempting to do as the boys had told them and stay awake.

"Whitney? Ulrich?" Jamie called through the door.

"Almost got it girls! Hang on a little longer."

"What did Ulrich say was wrong?" Erin mumbled.

"Carbon monoxide," Bridget answered.

"Right."

"Why isn't the fire department here? People die from this sort of thing." Molli glanced up at Kia. Kia didn't move. "Kia?" Jamie nudged her with her foot.

"Anderson, if you're going to try to sleep you have to run suicides." Kia removed her towel and barely cracked her eyes.

"Guys, this is no good," she groaned.

"They'll... Get us out." Dori nodded at her own statement. Her eyes shut again, her breathing feeling labored.

"Dori?" Molli shook her shoulders. "Dori! No sleeping! Jamie, toss me your water!" Jamie reacted, tossing her the bottle. Molli spun the cap on and turned the bottle upside down, spilling ice water all over Dori's face and her spandex. Dori shot up, almost in slow motion; her eyes blinked in shock.

"What? What'd I do!?"

"You have to stay awake," Molli growled. Dori pushed her wet bangs out of her face and leaned back against Molli.

"I don't know if I can." Her eyes drooped dangerously

_**o0o0o0o0o Summer**_

"Go," Yumi barked at Aelita as she turned on heel to take on a mega tank. "And hurry."

"Is Aelita in the tower?" Jeremie's voice rang out again. "Latest update, Dori's not responding to the girls, she's in and out of consciousness." Yumi swore under her breath as she tossed one of her fan, hitting the tanks eye.

"She just entered."

_**o0o0o0o0o Summer**_

"Dori?" Molli shook the girl. "Dori! Someone have another bottle? Dori!" The girl's eyes didn't open. Erin stumbled over to the trash can.

"What the…?" Jamie froze, staring at the white light taking them over. "I've heard of going to the light, but this is just ridicu-"

_**o0o0o0o0o Summer**_

The gang woke up that morning. Yumi sighed in relief, waking from a restless sleep in a cold sweat. Calm spread through her body. Sure, she had to go ice skating again, but at least the Angels were still alive.

"Yumi?" She looked up to see Hiroki standing in the doorway, a pair of ice skates slung over either shoulder.

* * *

**Flames Chaos and Wolf: Fights are fun!**

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	18. News From All Directions

**Chapter 18: News In All Directions**

**A/N: Oh man, guys. I think this is it! All that's left from this is the epilogue. I won't go all teary eyed on you guys yet. Save it for next chapter. **

**Dedication: Well, we reached 200 reviews and 100 pages. Not bad, not bad. Page 100 goes to my ever-loving beta, and the chapter dedication goes to Melcho for the 200th review! Thank you soo, so much! Enjoy everyone.**

* * *

**Yum**i dropped Ulrich's hoodie on the couch and picked up the phone that had been persistently ringing for five minutes. They clearly needed something important. 

"Hello?"

"Yumi!" A voice shrilled from the other end.

"Rika! How are you? How's the baby?"

"We're fine. Even Keith, because I know you were oh-so worried about him, too." Yumi moved to a chair.

"That's great. What's new?"

"We're coming out in September. We're taking the first week of school off."

"You are? That's fantastic!" Rika laughed.

"Hope you don't mind housing us."

"Only if you bring my goddaughter."

"Mira wouldn't miss it. What's new on the French end?"

"I've been practicing with the school's volleyball team." There was a pause from Rika.

"You're playing?" She sounded excited.

"Practicing," Yumi corrected.

"Are they nice?"

"Almost as tight as the Jubban team."

"Wow. I'm so happy you've decided to pick it back up."

"It's only for a school class."

"You know you can't stay off the court."

"I'm not playing season." There was a knock on the door. Well, more of a pounding. "I've got to go."

"You got it. Call me, call me later, maybe?"

"Sure. Love you guys."

"Love you, too." She hung up the phone and walked towards the door. To her surprise, on her front porch were six Angels, faces bright, sunglasses pushed up.

"Hi?"

_**o0o0o0o Summer**_

Charlie's smile was much too happy for her brother's liking.

"What did you do, and was it illegal in any way?" The girl had bounced into his dorm, smile plastered on her face, and dropped onto his bed. He barely looked up from his computer screen. She yawned unconvincingly, at him.

"Define illegal?" she teased.

"Chare..." There was a warning tone in his voice.

"Chill, chill, chill. I have a new boy toy." Ulrich's eye twitched.

"Who?"

"Tyler!" Her brother shot out of his seat.

"No way in Hell!" Charlie fell over with laughter, burying her face in a fleece blanket folded up on the head of his bed.

"Kidding! Theo. He's really sweet. Not like William."

"Theo?" Ulrich sighed. Much less threatening and a decent human being. Still not his first choice for his sister, though. Charlie lifted her face from the blanket.

"This is new. Where did you get it?" she asked.

"Charlie, you've been in her a few times, tops. How would you know that's new?" Ulrich asked. He snatched the black fleece off the bed. She caught a glimpse of a soccer ball in the middle of the material.

"It doesn't smell like you yet… Is it Yumi's?" she laughed. Ulrich blushed.

"We were talking about early tournaments. The buses are always freezing and everyone always sleeps on the way there. She laughed at me when she showed me this purple and white blanket she used to take with her to her volleyball tournaments. I told her I never thought of bringing one… so..." he waved the blanket a little. "She bought me one."

"Aww! Twinny, your love is such a sweetheart." Ulrich laughed at his sister's puppy-like expression.

"Did you actually _need_ something, Chare? Or just come in here to terrorize your brother?"

"Oh... Well, yeah. Mom called. She said if I wanted to stay at Kadic, I have one week to decide or she was hauling me home… oh, and she set a monthly limit on my credit card."

"Dad's credit card."

"Mine now." Ulrich sighed at her.

"Problem here being?"

"Do you want me to stay?" He stared at his sister, eye-to-eye with his twin. It had been years since they attended the same school. He... Really missed her.

"Charlie Mariah, of course I want you to stay." She leapt from the bed into his arms.

"You mean it? Even if I steal your spot on the soccer team?" He dipped her so she lost her balance and then shoved her playfully back to where she was sitting on his bed.

"Don't get ahead of yourself. Come on, we have Aelita's swim meet, remember?"

"But of course!"

_**o0o0o0o Summer**_

Yumi gaped at he girls spread around her living room, clutching Ulrich's hoodie to her chest.

"You want me?" Kia was perched on Jamie's knees, who sat in the chair across from the startled girl.

"Yes," the co-captain said confidently.

"Sorry! Really, but I don't play-"

"We've seen you play," Jamie spoke up.

"-teams," Yumi finished weakly.

"We need you," Dori nodded. Yumi thought about her volleyball bag sitting at the foot of her bed. It looked so… normal there. Like that's where she set it every night. Like she'd put it here since she moved in.

"I played in Japan... My team was really tight. Maybe even tighter than you guys. When I had to move," The sentence hung in the air as she thought about her words. "Rika and I were the captains. When I left it was like I lost eleven sisters. We didn't really have strings, I mean we did, but we were a team. When I had to walk into my last practice with them I did more crying then practicing. My coach had to stop drills like, nine times so I could wipe my eyes enough to see. Until I started playing with you girls, I had no more interest in the game anymore. I didn't think I'd ever find another team that close." The Angels looked at each other.

"We don't want to replace your team, Yumi. Maybe just become some more extended family," Erin smiled. Somehow the comment set the Angels, and Yumi, into a fit of laughter.

"Alright… when do I tryout?" Kia squealed, leaping from Jamie's lap to hug Yumi.

"That's great! Terrific! Seriously, party at my house tonight. Invite everyone. Jamie will give you tryout days when we find out … but uhm..." she blushed. "I really have to go, I'm meeting Ethan in five minutes." In a flash, the blonde was gone. The others rolled their eyes collectively. Molli finally spoke up.

"We're happy to have you, Yumi."

"Happy to be playing with you. Now, if you don't mind, I have a swim meet to be at." The Angels laughed.

_**o0o0o0o Summer**_

Aelita could be spotted in the crowd of swimmers a mile away. Her red bathing suit stood out like fire amidst the blue and black suits.

'_Be friendly to the competition, especially when…'_

Aelita's eyes flickered around, searching for the source of the voice; she figured it out a moment later. She smiled in comfort.

"Princess!" She spun around.

"Odd! You came! Have you seen-"

"Right here!" Another blonde ran up behind the first.

"Jeremie!" She tried to figure out how to explain the new memory, then it clicked. She moved closer to him, so only he could hear her words.

"I used to go to swim meets, and Daddy would tell me to be nice to the competition, especially when I was going to beat them." She watched the information register.

"You….?" She nodded. "Aelita! Princess! That's great!" Before he, or anyone else, knew what he was doing, his arms were around her, and drawing her in for a kiss. Odd and Sam grinned.

"Awww!" The youngest Stern shrieked at the display as she approached with her brother. Jeremie pulled away, blushing like mad. Yumi walked in behind the pair, green hoodie thrown over her arms.

"I have a feeling I missed something good," she joked.

"Just everyone's favorite coupe smooching before Aelita's swim," Charlie grinned. Yumi laughed.

"Let's get seats before they're all taken. Good luck, Lita." The younger girl, reluctantly let go of the blonde.

"See you guys after I win!" The group laughed.

_**o0o0o0o Summer**_

"We've got new news." The group stared at each other as they all stated the same thing, save for Yumi who said "I've" instead of "we've".

"Who first?" she asked. Charlie bounced in the bleachers as they waited for the meet to start.

"Me! Me! Me!" Odd grinned.

"You, then Jer, then Yumi, Then us." Charlie took a deep breath.

"I'm staying at Kadic so the school year! Ulrich said he'll keep me." She grinned widely at the group and smiled at the round of cheers.

"That's awesome, Chare! Sam, you know what this means right? You'll have a permanent party buddy for those raves I can't attend." Ulrich glared at him.

"Odd!"

"Kidding! Kidding. Jer?" Jeremie still had a half-embarrassed smile on his face.

"Aelita got more of her memory back." Yumi, Ulrich and Odd cheered again. Sam and Charlie looked confused. "She... had an accident when she was younger and lost her memory. She's getting it back as she gets older," Jeremie was quick to explain. That seemed to stick for them. "Yumi?"

"I'm going to play season with the Kadic Angels; play volleyball again." She didn't know whether to be embarrassed or excited. Ulrich tightened his arm around her waist.

"That's great Yumi." She blushed a bit at him. "Odd?"

"Well… my news sucks now." Sam rolled her eyes. "We made a few too many cookies, so after this we're going back to Sam's to eat cookies." Everyone smiled.

"How many is a few?" Jeremie asked, skeptical of the couple.

"Uhm... Six or eight or ten dozen extra." Sam pretended to hide her face in shame. Yumi's face lit up.

"Better idea! Kia invited everyone back to her house tonight for a party. I was going to tell you guys, but everyone's news had me excited." Odd cheered.

"Party!" The others quietly acknowledged the idea while he danced between Charlie and Sam. A whistle signaled the start of the first event and pulled the group out of their discussion to cheer on Aelita who had taken and early lead was keeping an easy pace ahead of her competitors.

"Now you're showing off!" Yumi teased. She could almost she the younger girl grin as she finished the first length of the pool.

_**o0o0o0o Summer**_

By the end of the two hour meet, the gang's voices were half-dead and Aelita had 3 blue ribbons hanging around her wrist, along with one red from a relay and a green for overall participation. She was beginning to have quite a collection. They walked down the block to Kia's house, where they could already hear music blasting and people laughing. Sam had taken the cookie away from Odd due to the fear that they would be all gone before they even made it to the house.

"Yumi!" Jamie waved from her spot next to the pool as she watched the group walked in. The backyard was full of people. The Angels, Ryan, Whitney, Ethan, the gang, and people Yumi wasn't really sure she'd ever seen before. "Welcome to the 'End of Summer' slash 'Welcome to the Team, Yumi!' party. No invitations needed." She pushed her sunglasses onto her head and pulled on her bikini bottoms as she stood. "Kia! Yumi's here!" Kai came running from the house.

"Yumi! Sweet, you invited people. We have _so _much food. I thought no one would come." Yumi tugged her t-shirt over her head, revealing her black bikini.

"Yes, I came. Yes, I brought people. Now are we going to play some water volleyball or not?" She glanced at the net in the middle of the near-empty pool. A smile almost reached Kia's ears.

"Girls verses boys!"

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**Circus Runaway: thanks so much for finding it**

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	19. Epilogue

**Epilogue **

* * *

**Y**umi sprinted down the street at full tilt, all the while mentally beating herself for forgetting to leave practice early. Rika and family were due in exactly seventeen minutes. Her hair was falling out of its pony tail, still being held out of her face by the yellow pre-wrap she had stuck in it haphazardly during the early morning practice. Kia and Jamie had called the whole team, bright and early, to remind everyone that there was practice. By bright and early, she literally meant five-thirty. Practice started at _seven._

Her volleyball bag bounced off her back and hip with every step. She was exhausted from her coach's attempt to get them whipped into shape for their first match against Lincoln. Before she passed out, she promptly kicked off her volleyball shoes and grabbed her slides, not bothering to put them all the way on, and took off out of the school. She was already twenty minutes late before she was even out the doors of the gym.

"Yumi! Hurry up! You're late!" Ulrich was leaning against the doorframe as she stormed up the driveway. He was smirking at her. She figured she looked amazing at that minute. Hair tasseled, wife beater and sports bra, and a pair of black spankies. There were shorts and warm-up pants in her bag, but she didn't have a second to spare as she raced home.

"Shut-up. Take this. I'm getting in the shower." She pushed her volleyball bag at him and ran up the stairs. He could hear the water running as he took his time up the stairs to her room. He dropped the bag he had casually slung over his shoulder. "Run my checklist!" Yumi yelled from the shower. Ulrich chuckled. He surveyed the room once. Spotless. She had only spent the last two days cleaning and scrubbing the house; that included threatening Hiroki to the point of severe pain if he messed up anything between the day she started cleaning and today.

"Alright!" He walked to the bathroom door and leaned against it. This was the eighth time he'd 'run the checklist' for her. "The guestroom's ready?"

"Yes. Clean sheets, crib for Mira. Next?"

"The gifts are wrapped?"

"Sitting on the kitchen table. Aelita picked out pink bags, by the way."

"House cleaned?"

"God, I hope so."

"Uhm… what else? Oh, pancake mix?"

"Six boxes in the pantry. I think that's enough."

"Why is pancake mix on the list?"

"Is this your list?"

"No."

"Then don't question its contents." The shower stopped running, and the curtain was pushed back.

"Next?"

"I think that's all. Oh wait, I think the last one was 'be on time getting home so you don't have to rush'." The boy grinned as he waited for her response. The door opened, making him stumble back a step. Yumi walked past him quickly, towel wrapped around her; she wrung her hair out with one hang, other hand bunching the white towel on the side. She glanced over her shoulder as she reached her room.

"Yeah, well, I forgot about that one. It was your job to remind me. That's why I put you in charge of the list." Ulrich's eye twitched in response to her lack of modesty. It made it so hard to be a good boyfriend when she did things like this.

".. Right. You got caught up in practice. I called your phone."

"We turn phones off at practice. Ring and run, you know? Jim has the same rule." The door to her bedroom was shut quickly. There was a distinct sound of clothes being pulled on and then the door opened again. Yumi was dressed in a pair of black shorts and her 'Junior Angels Camp' coach shirt. "And I'm running on a schedule now, right?" She grinned and draped her towel over her shoulder. Ulrich checked the clock hanging on the wall.

"Right." She was only a half-hour behind schedule. That was on-time in Yumi-time.

"Tyler called? He said he was on his way to get them? Please, say he remembered."

"Tyler called. He said he was on his way to get them." Yumi sighed and nodded.

"That's great. Mom, Dad, and Hiroki?"

"Hiroki's at Johnny's. Your mom is in her study and has already agreed not to bother you for at least an hour, and your dad isn't home from work yet." The girl smiled.

"What would I do without you?" She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a quick kiss. "You're amazing."

"You'd probably forget something." His arms snaked around her waist.

"This summer was crazy," she muttered, burying her face into his chest.

"Got away from us, huh?"

"Ran away." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"Are we ready for the school year, though?"

"You mean the attention when the rest of the school gets back and finds out?"

"Exactly."

"We can handle it." Yumi took the moment to reflect. It really had been so busy between volleyball for her, soccer for him, and Lyoko for both of them, that they hadn't had the time to just freeze for a moment and enjoy each other's company. This is what she'd never want to miss; tiny moments, snapshots in time, where she was just lost with him. He pressed tiny pecks across her jaw.

"What?" he asked. She grinned, winding her fingers through his hair.

"Nothing really. I'm just happy." There was a knock on the door and she groaned. "Yeah. Door. We should get that." He held her for a second as she tried to pull away. "Ulrich! That could be them! Let go," she whined playfully. He let go of her waist, taking her hand to be pulled down the stairs. Yumi opened the door with a deep breath, only to reveal the gang and not Rika, Keith, and Mira.

"Took you long enough," Odd snorted at the couple.

"We were busy," Yumi teased. She let them in, noticing they were lacking one Sam. "Where's Sam?"

"Wasn't interested." The blonde smiled, taking a seat on the couch. Charlie was the last one to come in, bouncing with each step and shoving Odd over so she could sit next to him.

"Sam slept in because Odd had her swimming till four in the morning. She's still sleeping." Yumi coved her face, laughing into her palm at the expression on Odd's face combined with the serious tone in Charlie's voice. Ulrich raised an eyebrow at his roommate.

"You make it sound bad, Charlie. She can finally swim. So we spent a long time in the pool yesterday. It was totally innocent," Odd defended.

"Without trying to drown you? Oh, and nothing you do is innocent."

"Well..." Before he could get his comeback out, the doorbell rang about nine times in a row. Yumi let go of Ulrich to run and get it. Keith stood first, holding his arms up in a mock flinch, Rika behind him with a baby carrier, followed lastly by Tyler.

"Guys!" She lunged, hugging Keith quickly, choosing to skip the beating that she'd been aching to give him for months. That may have been suited for hello at another time, but she was just thrilled to see them.

"Could we at least get in the door before you attack us?" Keith choked jokingly. Yumi blushed.

"Oh, duh! Get in here. Where is my goddaughter?" She stepped out of the way to let them in. Rika lifted the carrier.

"She's been waiting to see you." Yumi cooed over the baby. Tyler looked around the living room in mock disgust.

"Not to be rude, Yumes, but I'll come back when there aren't so many teenagers in your living room. See you later." Yumi barely waved at him as Mira was handed to her. Everyone was seated around the living room, save for Ulrich leaning against the wall, and Rika who was standing in front of Yumi. The little girl was in a tiny pink dress; she had little wisps of dark hair and her deep brown eyes were closed.

"Thank God; she looks just like you, Rika," Yumi teased. Keith made a face. "Oh! Right. I'm such a ditz today. Guys, this is Rika and Keith and their daughter, Mira. Mira's my goddaughter." Yumi was very excited about that fact; more so than she thought she'd be. Everyone waved hello.

"Guys, you've met Ulrich." Ulrich rolled his eyes. Yumi had a tendency to introduce people to who they already knew sometimes. "That's his twin sister Charlie, The blonde next to her is Ulrich's roommate, Odd. That's Aelita and her boyfriend, Jeremie."

"Oh right! We've heard all about you guys. I probably could have figured out who was who just by everything Yumi's told me about you. Let's see. Aelita and Jeremie are our resident geniuses?" Rika asked. The couple blushed.

"That's them," Yumi laughed.

"The real question is, 'who are you?' Miss Yumi. Look at this; Coach? You're a regular volleyball girl again. For our sake, when we talk to Tristan, are you at least keeping up with your training?"

"Oh, Ulrich keeps her training," Odd joked. Yumi glared at him while Rika laughed.

Mira yawned, tiny fists stretching over her head. She opened her eyes and looked up at Yumi, gurgling happily.

"Hello, Mira," she said in a baby voice. Aelita watched in amusement; it was the first time she had ever seen an infant up close. To see Yumi interacting with her made her smile; she had a feeling she was actually really good with kids, even if she complained about Hiroki and Johnny. And then there was Ulrich, who was just getting a kick out of the whole scene. Yumi had said she loved children - the question came along during the very long ride to Japan - but he never imagined that she would fawn over Mira like this. "Oh, Ulrich, will you get the bags out of the kitchen?" Rika eyed her carefully.

"Yumi, if you went overboard, I'm going to be so mad at you." Yumi stopped bouncing the baby and looked at her friend.

"No, you won't." Rika sighed. She would probably squeal like she was twelve again.

"Give me my baby." Yumi handed her over reluctantly. Ulrich walked out of the kitchen holding a pink bag in each hand. Odd snickered.

"You are so whipped." Charlie shoved him. If Sam was there, she would have done it herself.

"Be nice!"

"I _am_ being nice. I could have said what I thought, that he looks like a total, whipped, pansy carrying those _ridiculous_ pink bags, and that I wouldn't be caught dead-" Charlie elbowed him in the ribs. Keith chuckled to himself at the scene. Yumi took the bags from Ulrich and kissed him on the cheek, as he attempted to bite his tongue in front of Yumi's friends. They probably already thought he had a temper, and Odd wasn't helping the fact. He decided he could deal with him later. They did share a dorm.

"This one is for you two, and this one is for Mira." Yumi held the bags up to Rika. "And you have to trade me if you want to open them." Ulrich grabbed her waist with a grin.

"Well, that's not very nice, blackmailing your best friend. I'll hold Mira, Rika." Rika smiled even brighter at the brunette.

"See, Yumi? I like this one. You should keep him." She handed over Mira, yet again, and took the bags from Yumi.

"I planned on it."

"Keith, do you want to open one?" Rika's eyes said, clearly, that this was not a question, but a demand.

"As you can see, Ulrich, being whipped comes with the territory," Keith pointed out. "I'll open the one for us." Rika grinned, walking over to him, handing him the bag, and then taking her seat on his lap.

"You're not whipped, sweetie, you're trained. There's a difference." She pulled light pink tissue paper from the sparkly pink gift bag. "Yumi… you didn't pick this bag out did you?"

"Do I even _need_ to answer that for you? Aelita picked out." The younger girl blushed.

"I love picking out gifts." Rika grinned bigger and pulled what was on the bottom out.

"Yumi!" she squealed. Yumi smiled, taking a seat next to Ulrich on the floor in front of the couch. Rika held up a tiny black and red kimono.

"There's more." The girl gently handed the kimono to Keith and dug back into the bag again. The tiny pink dress she pulled out next made her raise an eyebrow.

"Yumes…" The dress was gorgeous. It was also froofy and pink.

"Aelita again. There're some little onesies in the bottom, too. Open yours now, though." She tapped her heels nervously as Keith handed the kimono back to Rika and picked up the second, smaller bag. "Listen, I know you've been putting every last penny into the apartment and the baby but... Rika I know how badly... Well. Open it." She bit the inside of her lip. Ulrich, arms full, gave her a gentle, reassuring nudge. Keith pulled at the white paper, dropping it to the floor and looked inside.

"Boxes." Rika rolled her eyes at him, taking the boxes out. One was blue, the other red. She opened the blue one first. It was a plain gold band.

"Yumi," she breathed. She looked up to meet the girl's eyes, hers already laden with tears. Her fingers shook as she picked up the red one. The tears poured. Inside the red box was a single princess-cut diamond, surrounded by four tiny pink stones, set into a gold band. Even Keith seemed choked up.

"They're the rings you picked out, remember? With all the money you're putting out... And I knew you wanted to get married before the end of next year." Rika nodded.

"How did you afford these?"

"You don't need to ask that. They're my gift to you two," Yumi cut her off. Rika jumped off Keith and crushed the girl in a hug.

"I love you. So much. You don't have any idea what this means to me. To us." Yumi laughed.

"Yes I do. That's why I did it. I'm glad you like them." Rika finally let go and went back over to Keith.

"Thank you, Yumi." He smiled at her. She smiled back. The whole, loving scene was interrupted by a sudden wail from one ignored Mira. The teens laughed. Yumi looked down at the baby, and then held Ulrich's eyes as he rocked her.

"Hey!" Odd interjected. The two of them looked up. "Don't even think about it!" The couple blushed, but kept their smiles.

What a summer.

* * *

**A/n: Oh, geeze. This is.. great. Guys, we're done! Runway Summer is FINALLY finished. Thank you all so, _so,_ much for sticking with me this whole time. Thank you! I love you guys. Your reviews made me smile so much and made writing that much more enjoyable. I hope you'll all continue to read my fics. I'm working on THIS year's summer story along with a combined one with Sparkling Mist. I need to sign off before I start with the water works. THANK YOU!!**


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